Biotically synthesized chemicals (or their derivatives) that suppress the growth or cause death of bacteria. Other anti-microbials are also considered under the class antibiotics, these days.

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Why does Penicillin only affect bacterial cell walls

I was quite fascinated by the feature Should Science Pull the Trigger on Antiviral Drugs—That Can Blast the Common Cold? in this month's Wired magazine. They explain that Penicillin is effective at ...
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299 views

Antibacterial hand soaps (and related products); what are they good for?

From Wikipedia: Household use of antibacterials in soaps and other products, although not clearly contributing to resistance, is also discouraged (as not being effective at infection control). ...
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Do antibiotics attenuate immune response on subsequent exposure to same bacteria?

A healthy immune response to a bacterial infection includes "memory" to permit the body to thwart subsequent exposure to same bacteria. What are the dynamics of using antibiotics on initial exposure ...
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How are antibiotic resistant bacterial infections treated?

For example, how are infections of antibiotic resistant strains of MRSA, Streptococcus, or Gonorrhea treated?
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Why would taking antibiotics increase stamina and energy?

I often hear that people who are taking antibiotics experience wild fluctuations between feeling full of energy and completely alert but soon after feeling impossibly fatigued and sick. Does this ...
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Differences between antibiotics and antibacterial

As medicines, what differences are between antibiotics and antibacterial? Thanks!
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157 views

Aren't antibiotic resistant probiotics dangerous?

Multidrug resistant probiotics are often recommended by doctors in various cases. But since bacteriae can easily exchange genes by conjugation or other means they could promote the drug resistance of ...
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239 views

Why are antibiotics prescribed with a viral infection like a cold?

I've heard both ways; people going to the doctor for a cold and then getting a prescription for antibiotics and those that go to the doctor and told they have ride it out because it's a viral ...
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192 views

Why does ampicillin in solution turn yellow?

I have a universal tube with 10 mg mL-1 ampicillin. When I got it, it was supposed to be sterile. It was opened for approximately 20 minutes for an experiment and has since been standing around sealed ...
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By what mechanism does penicillin resistance usually develop in Streptococcus pneumoniae?

There are three mechanisms: prevention of the interaction between antibiotic and the target PBP; modification of the binding of the antibiotic to the PBP; hydrolysis of the antibiotic by a ...
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Where are doxycycline's anti-inflammatory properties derived from?

I have been looking at this antibiotic called doxycycline which is used mainly as an antibiotic. It has however some interesting anti-inflammatory properties. Does anyone know where these ...
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How the concentration of an antibiotic is chosen for YPD medium?

I need to prepare YPD plates containing hygromycin, but I don't know which concentration I can use. I'll select transformants of Hansenula polymorpha.