Screening of Fungi for Antimycobacterial Activity Using a Medium-Throughput Bioluminescence-Based Assay

This research explored using fungi to find new antibiotics that could treat dangerous bacterial infections like tuberculosis. The scientists developed a new method to test fungi for their ability to kill harmful bacteria by using bacteria that glow in the dark – when the fungi kill the bacteria, the glow dims or disappears. This helps quickly identify which fungi might produce useful new medicines. Impacts on everyday life: – Could lead to new antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections – Demonstrates the importance of preserving fungal biodiversity as a source of new medicines – Provides a faster way to screen natural compounds for antibiotic properties – Shows the value of indigenous ecosystems like those in New Zealand for drug discovery – Highlights how basic science tools like bioluminescence can accelerate medical research