Identification of a New Antimicrobial, Desertomycin H, Utilizing a Modified Crowded Plate Technique.

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria-associated infections are a major global healthcare threat. New classes of antimicrobial compounds are urgently needed as the frequency of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microbes continues to rise. Recent metagenomic data have demonstrated that there is still biosynthetic potential encoded in but transcriptionally silent in cultivatable bacterial genomes. However, the culture conditions required to identify and express silent biosynthetic gene clusters that yield natural products with antimicrobial activity are largely unknown. Here, we describe a new antibiotic discovery scheme, dubbed the modified crowded plate technique (mCPT), that utilizes complex microbial interactions to elicit antimicrobial production from otherwise silent biosynthetic gene clusters. Using the mCPT as part of the antibiotic crowdsourcing educational program Tiny EarthTM, we isolated over 1400 antibiotic-producing microbes, including 62 showing activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens. The natural product extracts generated from six microbial isolates showed potent activity against vancomycin-intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We utilized a targeted approach that coupled mass spectrometry data with bioactivity, yielding a new macrolactone class of metabolite, desertomycin H. In this study, we successfully demonstrate a concept that significantly increased our ability to quickly and efficiently identify microbes capable of the silent antibiotic production.

The importance of compassionate care / A importância do cuidado humanizado na Odontologia

Recently, studies have highlighted the importance of compassionate care in healthcare. Not only does it improve patient outcomes and satisfaction, but it also improves the healthcare providers' overall well-being. Furthermore, it helps streamline the healthcare system by shortening hospital stays and rates or readmittance. Unfortunately, patients report that they feel there is a lack of compassionate care provided to them, thus shedding light on the compassion crisis. The compassion crisis seems to have its roots in healthcare professional education, as evidenced by the high levels of burnout experienced by students, particularly in dental students. Compassion training, however, not only equips healthcare professionals with strategies to more effectively treat their patients, but also with coping mechanisms to better handle the stressors of their profession. Dentistry is no exception and has some unique barriers to care as well such as communication, the physical barrier during treatment. This further highlights the importance of compassionate care while providing treatment. Implementing compassionate care to be taught in school will improve patient outcomes and provider well-being (AU)

Recentemente, estudos destacaram a importância da empatia na área da saúde. A empatia não só melhora resultados e satisfação do paciente, mas também melhora o bem-estar dos profissionais de saúde. Além disso, ajuda a diminuir o custo do sistema de saúde ao reduzir as internações hospitalares e as taxas de reinternação. Infelizmente, os pacientes relatam que sentem falta de empatia, levando a uma atual crise de falta de empatia nos servicos de saúde. A crise da falta de empatia parece ter suas raízes na formação dos profissionais de saúde, como evidenciado pelos altos níveis de burnout experimentados pelos alunos, principalmente em estudantes de Odontologia. Treinamento para empatia, no entanto, não apenas prepara os profissionais de saúde com estratégias para tratar de forma mais eficaz seus pacientes, mas também com mecanismos de enfrentamento para lidar melhor com os fatores de estresse da profissão. A Odontologia não é exceção e tem algumas barreiras específicas, como a comunicação, que fica comprometida durante o tratamento odontológico. Isso destaca ainda mais a importância da empatia durante o tratamento. Ensinando empatia nos cursos de Odontologia melhorará os resultados para os pacientes e o bem-estar dos profissionais. (AU)