Bioinformatics
BIOINFORMATICS IN
Antibiotic Resistance
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What is antibiotic resistance?
In today's society, humans rely on antibiotics more than ever to combat and prevent bacterial infections. However, an epidemic is involved and antibiotic resistant bacteria have been formed. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of medicines. Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases.
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Types of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Staphylococcus Aureus is known for its ability to become antibiotic resistant. It can be resistant to the drug: methicillin.
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
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Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is the causative agent in Tuberculosis. The increase in antibiotic resistance has seen a rise in cases in the early 90s.
MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS
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E. Coli is mostly found in the intestines of humans or animals. However, some strands of the virus can eventually become life threatening. Antibiotic resistant rates in E. Coli is rapidly rising.
ESCHERICHIA COLI
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Certain strands of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae have shown resistance to antibiotics and have mutated over the course of 50 years.
NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE
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Klebsiella Pneumoniae is a gram negative bacterium that has MDR strands which could potentially cause nosocomial, urinary tract, and wound infections.
KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE
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Burkholderia Cepacia is particularly dangerous to people who have pre-existing lung conditions. It has high levels of resistance to several types of antibiotics and is able to survive in extreme conditions.
BURKHOLDERIA CEPACIA
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How can bIOINFORMATICS combat this?
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The field of Bioinformatics revolutionizes the world of science and technology. Bioinformatics can change the face of molecular studies to determine the protein structure, gene structure or sequence, molecular markers and relate them to other previously known structures. Bioinformatics studies have provided fundamental ways of modeling a biological living cell system and docking proteins that enabled scientists to discover effective drug strategies to combat the antibiotic bacteria. Bioinformatics has involved the analysis and interpretation of various types of data including: nucleotide and amino acid sequences, protein domains, protein structures etc. at molecular level.