Author: Peyton Burruss
Bacteria, a word most often associated with diseases or viruses, is not inherently bad. In fact, we all have bacteria in our bodies, and it’s essential for our health. Outside of the body, scientists are finding that bacteria can be used as an alternative for drug manufacturing. This would help ease costs and resources that are needed in current manufacturing. Bacteria is not just detrimental to health, in fact, it aids it.
Current drug manufacturing efforts are not sustainable. It’s expensive, inefficient, and prone to problems due to a lack of resources. Bacteria, however, is now being found as an affordable and abundant resource that can be used as an organic alternative. Scientists at UT Austin have started to create biosensors for commonly produced drugs. Biosensors can be used to determine and analyze the specific molecules that the bacteria is producing. Bacteria can be easily manipulated in a lab, and this method is a more efficient and consistent way to manufacture drugs. Bacteria being used in drug manufacturing can be a cutting-edge way to make drug manufacturing more sustainable and more affordable for all.
Bacteria is essential to maintaining healthy bodily processes. The millions of bacteria in our body are meant to work in a balance with each other. The main balance is between what bacteria is already in our system and what bacteria we feed it. Bacteria also stimulate the immune system, and help protect from diseases and viruses. The two types of bacteria that are most often talked about, especially in the instance of gut health, are prebiotics and probiotics.
Prebiotics are the bacteria that are preexisting in the body and stimulate the growth of new healthy bacteria. Even though they already exist in the body, it’s still important to eat foods or take supplements that contain prebiotics. Prebiotics can be found in fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain complex carbohydrates such as fiber. Organic supplements also contain complex carbs, because these can not be properly digested, they pass through the body as food for the bacteria. It’s important to keep up with prebiotics to maintain your health.
Probiotics are the organisms that add to the population of healthy bacteria. Similar to prebiotics, probiotics can be taken as food or supplements. Probiotics can be found in bacteria-fermented foods such as yogurt or sourdough. They can also be found in organic supplements. Maintaining these bacteria levels in your body are essential to your health.
Inside and outside of the body, bacteria is more than just illness or disease. Bacteria can be used to advance health in numerous ways. Its abundance and possibilities make it a versatile organism that is useful for a healthy life.
Credit:
- https://news.utexas.edu/2022/07/07/scientists-hijack-bacteria-to-ease-drug-manufacturing/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/prebiotics-probiotics-and-your-health/art-20390058
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome/
- Picture Credit:
Any Lane, Pexels