Drought could fuel the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs as climate change worsens, new research suggests

A warming world may see more antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A study of soil microbes showed that drought favors the microorganisms that survive antibiotics. The study found that some of the genes for resistance in soil-dwelling bacteria show up in antibiotic-resistant pathogen samples collected from hospital patients. The researchers treated sterile soil with the antibiotic phenazine and added soil-dwelling bacteria. They allowed half of the samples to dry out for three days, while keeping the rest moist. After this simulated drought, they discovered that the antibiotic in the soil had become more concentrated as the moisture in the soil evaporated. The researchers found that genes for antibiotic resistance became more common in dry periods. This prevalence went hand in hand with the increase in genes for antibiotic synthesis, supporting the idea that drought-stricken microbes boost their antibiotic resistance in response to increased pressure from other microbes.