The Hunt for Antibiotics in New Mexico’s Lechuguilla Cave

A Large Room in the Recently Discovered Munchkin Land Section of Lechuguilla Cave. Photo by Derek Bristol

Last week, Bloomberg ran a story on the global hunt for new antibiotics to combat the spread of drug-resistant superbugs.

In the article they feature caver Hazel Barton, a microbiologist working with Cubist Pharmaceuticals, who discovered a drug-resistant bacteria in New Mexico’s Lechuguilla Cave, part of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

There is hope that this new discovery may one day help extend the life of Cubist’s best-selling antibiotic, Cubicin.

As bacteria develop resistance to available medicines, modern methods of antibiotic development in labs have failed to keep pace with an emerging crop of superbugs. Many drugmakers have dropped out of the market because of regulatory hurdles and the poor return on investment.

By teaming with Barton, Cubist is hoping that nature, long abandoned by many other drugmakers, may hold the key.

Cave Explorer Hunts Antibiotics 1,600 Feet Down: Health [Bloomberg]