Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My partner and I are seriously thinking about doing a project on drug-resistant bacteria. Our idea is to somehow target the Pili of the cell and either brake it or just keep the protiens from forming them at all to stop the resistant bacteria from transfering their resistant DNA to other bacteria. This would just be a small way of limiting the growth of the resistant populations. We've done quite a bit of research already on bacteria and haven't found a meathod like this yet, which could be good if we're blazing a new trail, or bad if it means it isn't possible. Is it possible?

Hello LibbyB,

I was seriously consider conducting your experiments under a laboratory setting. My friend was recently hospitalized for his own experiments conducted similar research of drug-resistant bacteria. After his experimentation, he suffered from a severe case of the flu, probably from contamination of his bacterial cultures with cold or flu viruses. He took upmost care to sanitize and de-contaminate his cultures, but he performed the experiments in an amateur basement laboratory that he built himself. So please, be careful with bacteria. By no means am I condemning your research, just try to find a university laboratory or other to perform your experiments. You should also consult a person with a Ph.D in biochemistry. Knowledge and experience with microbiology and biomolecular chemistry is surely needed in this type of experiment.

P.S. Bacteria do not share their DNA to other bacteria of the same generation, they spread through their mitosis process to their daughter cells. I'm sure you just worded it incorrectly, but I just wanted to make sure you knew this.

LibbyB wrote:My partner and I are seriously thinking about doing a project on drug-resistant bacteria. Our idea is to somehow target the Pili of the cell and either brake it or just keep the protiens from forming them at all to stop the resistant bacteria from transfering their resistant DNA to other bacteria. This would just be a small way of limiting the growth of the resistant populations. We've done quite a bit of research already on bacteria and haven't found a meathod like this yet, which could be good if we're blazing a new trail, or bad if it means it isn't possible. Is it possible?

Hi, LibbyB!

This question may be better suited to posting in the "Life, Earth, and Social Sciences" forum of Science Buddies. The experts who monitor that forum may be more familiar with bacteria than those who monitor this Physical Science forum.

Best wishes for success on your project!

ok thanks

thanks bereal,

We will definitely be working in a lab! I hope your friend gets better, that doesn't sound very good, especially with the drug resistant bacteria!