Testing the Luedemann hypothesis: the discovery of novel antimicrobials from slow-growing microbes from nutrient-limited environments.

ABSTRACT: George Luedemann is known throughout the antimicrobial community as one of the discoverers of the natural product antibiotic gentamicin. He subsequently hypothesized that slow-growing organisms inhabiting inhospitable, nutrient-limited environments may represent an enriched source of previously undescribed microbes that produce novel antimicrobials to create a competitive advantage over faster-growing rival organisms. Accordingly, 750 slow-growing microorganisms were isolated from desert rock surfaces and archived prior to Dr. Luedemann's passing in 2000. Here, we describe the characterization and antimicrobial screening of the first 147 members of the Luedemann collection. 16S rRNA and whole-genome sequencing revealed that the pilot isolate set is highly diverse and includes novel microbi

SUBMITTER: Lin B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12570475 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature