The Cave Ecosystem in the Research of New Antibiotic Discovery and Development

Abstract

The increasing resistance of micro-organisms to antibiotics is a serious problem of public health. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an additional increase in fungal infections from rare fungi, which burdened immunocompromised patients. Climate change, and the resulting high temperatures and humidity, is predicted to worsen this situation, as such conditions accelerate the emergence and spread of these “superbugs” and fungi. The need to produce new antimicrobial agents is therefore essential and imperative. Recent data support the idea that the pristine ecosystems of caves may become an important potential source of novel drugs.

Keywords

• cave
• actinobacteria
• antibiotics
• ecosystem
• micro-organisms