UTSA students search soil for new antibiotics in innovative STEM project

FEBRUARY 10, 2025 — Undergraduates at UTSA are tackling the growing antibiotic resistance crisis as part of a microbiology course studying soil samples.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes antimicrobial resistance as “one of the world's most urgent public health problems.” It occurs as pathogens develop defense mechanisms against common antibiotic medications.

According to the World Health Organization, the process is driven by misuse and overuse of antibiotic drugs. Meanwhile, the development of new, more effective antibiotics has not kept pace with rising resistance levels, leaving a growing number of bacterial infections untreatable.

“Over 60% of clinically used antibiotics come from soil bacteria, but as soil erodes, so does the opportunity to discover new antibiotics.”

A recently developed interdisciplinary project called Place-Based Soil Data Interpretation and Research in Texas (PBS-DIRT), funded by a $395,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is providing UTSA students the opportunity to help find solutions.

“Over 60% of clinically used antibiotics come from soil bacteria, but as soil erodes, so does the opportunity to discover new antibiotics,” said Sara Shields-Menard, assistant professor of instruction of molecular microbiology and immunology. “Soil also contains microbes that influence environmental and human health. Research can reveal ways to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens or monitoring environmental conditions.”

Students participating in the module are collecting soil samples in the San Antonio area and analyzing soil data to potentially find new antibiotics. They will contribute their findings to a global database managed by the Tiny Earth Initiative, an organization that supports student research in pursuit of more effective antibiotics.

“I realized how much there is left to understand,” said Elizabeth Negron, UTSA microbiology and immunology student. “I think being able to understand pathogens before they become pandemics is very significant, and that’s something I’d like to be part of personally.”

So far, UTSA students have isolated bacteria with interesting pigments and found that certain soil bacteria can slow or prevent the growth of bacteria that are tough to treat.

— Ari Castañeda and Tiffany Huertas