A 14-week educational program conducted by scientists from the University of Illinois at Chicago brought an unexpected discovery. Students who had not yet started high school were tasked with looking for new bioactive factors. When one of the teenagers brought bird droppings from a city park, it turned out that they contained compounds with unusual properties.
The aim of the educational program was to promote a scientific career among young people by gaining practical experience. To this end, a team of experts led by Brian Murphy from the University of Illinois contacted the Boys and Girls Club, an educational organization that works with many schools in Chicago. Murphy's day job involves discovering antibiotics from natural sources, so interested students were asked to explore their area for environmental samples.
A total of 14 samples were qualified for further testing. One of them – goose droppings collected from Garfield Park Lagoon by Camarrie Williams – particularly caught the attention of scientists. Under their supervision, the teenage student carefully isolated a bacterium with antibiotic activity. Later laboratory tests also revealed a hitherto unknown compound that has anti-cancer properties in laboratory tests. Details are described in the “ACS Omega” magazine.
Unknown to science
From the samples brought by the teenager, it was possible to isolate a species of gram-negative bacteria (containing a cell wall) Pseudomonas idahonensis. In the laboratory, they have been shown to be able to inhibit over 90 percent growth of gram-positive (non-cell wall) bacterial species that can cause skin infections.
What's more, a bacteria Pseudomonas not only did it have antibiotic properties, but it also produced a new and previously unknown natural compound, called orfamide N by scientists. Biological activity tests revealed that this compound successfully slowed down the development of melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in laboratory tests. The authors of the program add that further research may reveal its other beneficial properties.
Search for new drugs
The unexpected discovery is extremely valuable for scientists. Currently, more and more dangerous bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, so each new compound is worth its weight in gold. Experts emphasize that the natural environment is the best place to look for breakthrough discoveries.
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