Monday, August 3, 2020
Antibiotic compounds and the resistance that accompanies them is a major interest to individuals studying human and animal health. However, we often overlook and under-appreciate that antibiotics are naturally occurring compounds created in a variety of environments. Understanding the role these compounds play in their natural context can provide interesting insight on microbial ecology, as well as inform novel compound discovery and how to mitigate antibiotic resistance. Here, we will examine the ecology of these well known compounds in order to highlight their important and varied roles.