Under pressure: How to explain the emergence of antibiotic resistance?

In this video Professor Fernanda Petersen discusses the development of antibiotic resistance as a natural evolutionary response of microbes to antibiotic exposure.

The landscape of antibiotic and other antimicrobial resistance genes in microbial communities is known as resistomes. These are found in virtually all environments where there are microbial communities, and have been present in bacteria far before the discovery and clinical use of antibiotics. Actually, phylogenetic studies indicate that antibiotic resistance genes pre-date our own human existence. However, with the selective pressure created by the introduction of antibiotics in the market, resistance has reached critical levels. Understanding the evolutionary context behind the development of antibiotic resistance in microbial communities is key to comprehend how antibiotic resistance develops and spreads.