- So one of the most important signs
is that it is able to consistently kill
a specific infection of a specific pathogen.
So pathogens are the types of microorganisms
that cause diseases, and so oftentimes,
we want to find antibiotics
that can kill a specific kind of pathogen
so that we can target our drugs in a better way.
- Whenever we look for antibiotics,
our lab looks at something called a zone of inhibition.
So whenever a bacteria that produces an antibiotic
is producing it, it creates this little, clear circle essentially
where the antibiotic is in the agar, the petri dish.
And this creates kind of like a safe haven
that prevents other bacteria from spreading into that area.