Buried in soil, a 100-million-year-old bacterial toxin could reshape pest control and antibiotic discovery

Buried in soil, a 100-million-year-old bacterial toxin could reshape pest control and antibiotic discovery

In every backyard, park, and playground on Earth, the ground is teeming with a type of bacteria called Streptomyces—one of the most abundant organisms on the planet. While these dirt-dwelling microbes are known for producing that earthy odor that fills the air after rainfall, that familiar scent is only the tip of their chemical-producing iceberg.

Streptomyces Secrete Insect-Targeting Diphtheria-Like Toxin

The ancient soil microbes known as Streptomyces have long been celebrated for their ability to produce a myriad of antibiotics, contributing fundamentally to modern medicine. However, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Microbiology reveals a surprising new facet of these prolific bacteria: the production of a diphtheria toxin-like exotoxin that specifically targets insects. This discovery not only broadens our understanding of bacterial …

Soil Bacteria Kill Insects With a Toxin Related to Diphtheria

Scoop up a handful of garden soil and you are almost certainly holding billions of Streptomyces bacteria. They are among the most abundant organisms on the planet, responsible for that petrichor smell after rain, and they have been quietly manufacturing antibiotics, anticancer drugs, and immunosuppressants for millions of years before we learned to harvest them. Scientists thought they had a reasonable handle on what these microbes get up to. Th…