Life Sciences Commons^™

A Survey Of Β-Lactam Antibiotic Resistance Genes And Culturable Ampicillin Resistant Bacteria In Minnesota Soils, Emily M. Wollmuth

Departmental Honors Projects

Since the discovery of penicillin, antibiotics have been an essential tool in the treatment of bacterial infections and diseases. It is estimated that antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes have existed for billions of years. With the increasing appearance of resistant pathogenic bacteria, there has been growing concern. β-lactam antibiotics make up the largest portion of the global market, so resistance to these antibiotics is especially alarming. It has been theorized that frequency and type of antibiotic resistance genes vary by area. Previous studies suggest that these differences may be related to antibiotic use in agricultural and urban areas. To survey …