Bacteria in Beards Could Lead to New Antibiotics

The looming crisis of antibiotic resistance means diseases that were once easily treatable are becoming deadly again. The over-prescription of antibiotics for conditions that don't require them is spurring resistant mutations leading to so-called superbugs - multi-drug-resistant infections that can evade the medicines designed to kill them.

"What we've done as a human species is to basically coat the world in antibiotics by our overuse and inappropriate use. So, we've selected for these resistance mechanisms in the bacteria, so it's why we're seeing the problem that we're seeing now," said microbiologist Dr. Adam Roberts from University College London.

The race is now on to develop new medicines to treat these emerging, mutating infections.
Only a few new antibiotics have been developed and brought to market in the past few decades, but one surprising source of hope has recently emerged -- beards.

The discovery came after a separate study to test the theory that most beards contain traces of feces.

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