Growth of soil bacteria, on penicillin and neomycin, not previously exposed to these antibiotics

Three bacterial isolates (PenS4C4, PenS2D4 and NeoS2D1) were obtained from soil not previously treated with the antibiotics penicillin and neomycin. Not only were they resistant to the presence of these antibiotics, but could use the nutrients and energy contained in these antibiotic molecules (at 1000 mg L− 1) to support growth (see growth curves below). Soils contain a potentially large and diverse pool of antibiotic resistant and degradation genes. This suggests potential ecological and health impacts yet to be explored and fully understood.