Yesterday we learned on our shark tagging trip that Nova Southeastern University will often swab the
inside of a shark's mouth for bacteria to culture. They do this to help create stronger antibiotics and
vaccines, so I decided to look into this after reading various other studies on this subject.
Drug resistance is a growing problem, and one study found that using the bacteria taken from a shark's
mouth can help fight drug-resistant infections. Sharks are known to heal fast and they also have very
strong immune systems, so this makes them a great candidate for developing new drugs to combat
antibiotic resistance. Read more about the study HERE.
Shark attacks also leave victims with potential infections since their bites are so “dirty”. Shark bites
contain so much bacteria that they can easily infect a wound, therefore slowing down recovery time
and putting the patient at risk. If researchers can swab the mouth of a shark that commonly causes
shark attacks, then they can create antibiotics to treat infected shark bites. In another study, a doctor
from St. Mary’s Trauma Center in Palm Beach and an assistant professor from Nova Southeastern
University College of Pharmacology both worked together to find a solution to these infected bites.
They collected samples from blacktip sharks and analyzed these samples in a lab. They determined
that shark bites contain such foreign bacteria and this is difficult to treat since physicians can’t
prescribe an antibiotic that will work for every pathogen. Blacktip sharks account for the most bites in
Florida, so if they can determine what bacteria is in their mouths, these scientists can develop an
antibiotic that can counter a victim’s infection. Read more about this study here.
Here is a photo of a blacktip shark, they are usually found in murky or brackish water so they mistake
humans for fish.
Sharks are also used to create vaccines. Squalene is an organic compound derived from shark liver oil,
and this is one of the ingredients in the vaccine for COVID-19. This chemical works to increase the
effectiveness of vaccines, and it will boost the immune response against the virus.
#novasoutheasternuniversity #sharkbacteria #vaccines #blacktipsharks
Hi Chloe,
ReplyDeleteI find the ways sharks can be used for vaccines to be super interesting because it really isn't something that you think about much unless you have it mentioned to you. I had actually never even heard of it before it was mentioned on the boat when we were tagging sharks. The ways that we can use sharks to help fight against the growing antibiotic resistance problem, and for COVID-19 vaccines is amazing, and I hope one day there will be even more studies done on the ways that sharks can benefit us, as well as hopefully more ways that we can benefit them.
Hi Chloe,
ReplyDeleteWhen they mentioned that sharks' mouths were swabbed for bacteria, I was interested to know what for. I wasn't really aware of the medical purposes sharks had and it's crazy to learn what researchers are doing with this data to help counteract drug resistant infections. I also didn't know that sharks' mouths were filled with so much bacteria as you stated and that bites that have become infected are more difficult to treat because of the foreign bacteria in their mouths. It's cool to see how scientists have worked to find solutions to the problems at hand through shark research!
That was the first time I have ever heard of a sharks mouth bacteria being used for antibiotics and vaccines. I knew that they were made with help from bacteria but a shark was the last place I would think of having beneficial bacteria like that. Now thanks to this trip I have learned something new and interesting about sharks.
ReplyDelete