A CSIC-led study finds that certain components of breast milk are linked to fewer antibiotic-resistance genes in babies’ gut microbiota.
Breast milk is custom made for baby. Best thing out there by far.
That sounds like a great idea, but my wife won’t let me.
Weird last time I was there there was a line.
Weird she bottles it up and mails it right to me
Uh. That’s why babies drink it. The colostrum helps them build up defenses. I, admittedly, didn’t read the article before commenting so I’m not sure if this just solidifying what we already know or if they’re finding that it’s stronger than initially thought.
Babies drink breast milk to change genes in bacteria to make them not express proteins that stop antibiotics?
They do it unknowingly, but yes they do.
What evolutionary advantage does preventing antibiotic resistance provide? Why would that be the goal?
Well, to ensure that nasty bacteria don’t get a foothold in your system I’d assume? Will it kill your own helpful bacteria? Yes, but they should be much more plentiful and able to repopulate.
I’m not an expert in this by any means, but that would make the most sense to me.
It’s not killing the bacteria, it’s modifying their antibiotic tolerance
You said preventing antibiotic resistance. If you’re preventing the bacteria from resisting the antibiotics then they would be dying. Unless I’m missing something in what you’re trying to say?
Antibiotic resistance is an innate property of bacteria based on their genes, the genes in the plasmid, and which are active. Regardless of if antibiotics are present or not. Antibiotic resistance broadly is the spread or proliferation of these genes either through offspring of resistant bacteria or through horizontal gene transfer (they can trade genes while living, and can even trade with dead bacteria)
Ten year old me would have looked at that image every day.
Thank you for sharing! Next time, keep it to yourself
