• Question: What are the best compound/s for killing bacteria, and does it depend on the species or sub-species?

    Asked by to Naomi on 23 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Naomi Osborne

      Naomi Osborne answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      Hi ammonia7642,

      It depends on the bacteria you’re trying to kill – some have cell walls that make it harder for certain antibiotics to get into the cell and kill them, whilst others may have evolved mechanisms of resistance, for example pumping out the antibiotic. Antibiotics that tear apart bacterial cell walls are usually pretty good, but bacteria can evolve so that they stop working.

      Antibiotics that have more than one target are usually the most effective, because it makes it harder for the bacteria to become resistant. This can also be achieved by using more than one antibiotic at the same time.

      Hope this answers your question 🙂

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