Identifying new antimicrobial agents produced by Serratia marcescens

Given the current crisis of rising antibiotic resistance, it is essential that we identify new ways to kill harmful bacteria. One of the best sources of agents to kill bacteria is actually bacteria themselves, since different types of bacteria are continually fighting each other to gain resources and expand their own populations. In this project we aim to identify two new antimicrobial agents produced by a particular type of bacterium called Serratia marcescens, and to test how wide a range of other bacteria these agents can kill. Long-term, identifying such agents may form the basis of developing new antibiotics for the clinic.