Lay summary
With Pacific island researchers, we have recently reported successful culturing of bioactive bacteria, including Streptomyces and rare Actinomycetes from a limestone cave in Fiji. We have shown that the bacteria cultured are only a small fraction of the diversity present in the cave. Using portable DNA and RNA sequencing technology we will genetically screen the bacteria already cultured for novel antimicrobials. We will also use this technology to directly look for novel bioactivity in further biological samples taken from the cave. To isolate and culture bioactive bacteria, we are using pre-treatments that select against fast-growing bacteria and selective growing conditions that mimic the cave environment. We do this because the World Health Organisation has recently emphasised the importance of identifying novel antibiotics to combat the frightening rise of multidrug-resistant micro-organisms. This emerging global problem of Antimicrobial Resistance has the potential to cripple the health system in New Zealand.