Researchers discover new antibiotic in Mexican forest

An international team of scientists have discovered a new antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium found in a tropical forest in Mexico -- a finding that may help develop new ways to tackle bacterial infections in both plants and humans.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, noted that the soil bacterium could act as a "plant probiotic," providing friendly support to plants against infectious microbes, and contribute to their health.

The researchers, including those from Rutgers University in the US, said that the new antibiotic -- phazolicin -- prevented harmful bacteria from getting into the root systems of bean plants.

"We hope to show the bacterium can be used as a 'plant probiotic' because phazolicin will prevent other, potentially harmful bacteria from growing in the root system of agriculturally important plants," said senior author of the study, Konstantin Severinov, from Rutgers University"