FASTER, PLEASE: Harnessing a natural geochemical reaction to combat antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics have allowed for the widespread control of bacterial infections, which had been the leading cause of death historically. However, the overuse of traditional antibiotics in humans and animals has resulted in the emergence of stronger, more potent bacterial strains that are no longer treatable with conventional antibiotics.

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are exploring alternative treatment options when antibiotics fail. Certain naturally occurring clay deposits have been shown to harbor antimicrobial properties and kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These clays have been proposed as a new paradigm for fighting the potentially devastating effects of the post-antibiotic era. Despite their effectiveness, these naturally occurring clays, by their inherent heterogenous properties, exhibit variable antibacterial effectiveness and the synthesis of minerals with reproducible antibacterial activity is needed to harness their therapeutic value. The research appears in Scientific Reports.

Waiting for the reaction when Joe Rogan mentions using clay to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria.