Abstract Detail

Ethnobotany

Difeo, Tyla [1], Glace, Isaac [1], Quillen, Jessica [1], Reid, Aidan [1], McCarthy, Mirabai R. [1].

Bioprospecting for Antibiotics in NW Montana.

The World Health Organization lists antibiotic resistance as one of the leading threats to global health and life expectancy. Each year in the United States antibiotic resistant bacteria cause approximately 2.8 million infections and tens of thousands of deaths. The majority of mainstream antibiotics are currently synthesized from fungi and bacteria, yet other organisms such as plants and lichen have sparked scientific interest as potential sources of antimicrobial compounds, yet only a fraction of species have been tested. Given the tremendous need for these new compounds, and the potential for discovery among plant and lichen groups, our research has focused primarily on collecting various specimens from Northwest Montana, then using traditional methods of extraction and in vitro culture testing, determining whether any species have antimicrobial potential. Over the past seven years, plant, lichen and fungal samples have been a collected from various locations in and around the Flathead Valley. All specimens were photographed in the field or in the lab, later identified using various dichotomous keys, cleaned of contaminants, dried, deposited in the FVCC herbarium, and various specimens were selected for antibiotic analyses using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion methods. The results presented here summarize our work from the past year - focused primarily on testing local pteridophytes, bryophytes, and fungi.

1 - Flathead Valley Community College, Biology, 777 Grandview Dr, Kalispell, MT, 59901, USA

Keywords:
Antibiotics
Bioprospecting
Undergraduate Research.

Presentation Type: Poster
Number: PET009
Abstract ID:750
Candidate for Awards:None