“Bioprospectors” are exploring deep-sea trenches, acid lakes, and other extreme environments in the hunt for tomorrow’s antibiotics:
The organisms that flourish in the comfort zone of Earth’s biosphere make up only a fraction of life on our planet. Outside what we consider the habitable regions – in the desiccated soils of deserts or buried beneath thick ice or rock – creatures not only survive, but thrive, at extremes of temperature, salinity and darkness. … It wasn’t until a few years ago that we began to realize that these adaptations could also be turned against some of our nastiest medical foes. Fungi discovered in the acidic lakes of Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad, California – whose metal-infused waters should have stymied all life – tipped us off (see diagram). One hardy strain of Penicillium produces a compound that inhibits the growth of lung cancer cells. Another compound, berkelic acid, isolated from fungus and bacteria found living in the toxic water of an open-pit mine, slowed ovarian cancer cell growth by 50 per cent. The hunt was on to unearth more of nature’s extreme medicines.
(Photo of Lechuguilla Cave by Dave Bunnell)
The Dish 
