The exponential rise of antibiotic drug resistance is a considerable threat to global public health. Researchers are continually searching for the underlying mechanisms that promote this resistant phenotype. Some evidence exists to suggest that antibiotic use encourages the spread of bacterial resistance through genetic swapping. However, new research from Duke University suggests that these examples are outliers and not indicative of the majority of bacterial populations. Researchers also suggest that differential birth and death rates of microbes and not DNA donation are to blame. The results have implications for designing antibiotic protocols to avoid the spread of antibacterial resistance. http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-...ce-not-spread-through-gene-swapping/81252602/ Paper: http://www.nature.com/articles/nmicrobiol201644
