Microorganisms identified in Roman baths could help fight antibiotic resistance

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The world-famous Roman baths are home to a wide range of microorganisms that could play a vital role in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance, a new study suggests.

The research, published in the journal The microbeis the first to provide a detailed examination of the bacterial and archaeal communities found in the waters of the popular tourist attraction the City of Bath.

The scientists collected samples of water, sediment and biofilms from different locations throughout the Roman baths complex, including the Source du Roi (where the waters reach around 45°C) and the Grand Bain, where temperatures are lower. close to 30°C.

The samples were then analyzed using state-of-the-art sequencing technology and traditional culture techniques were used to isolate bacteria with antibiotic activity.

Around 300 distinct types of bacteria have been isolated at the Roman baths site – including the main candidate groups, Actinobacteria And Myxococcotaknown for the production of antibiotics – with different examples being more important at different water temperatures.

Further testing revealed that 15 of these isolates – including examples of Proteobacteria And Firmicutes – showed different levels of inhibition against human pathogens, including E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus And Shigella flexneri.

This research comes at a time when the need for new sources of antibiotics is reaching unprecedented levels, with bacterial resistance to currently used drugs estimated to be responsible for the deaths of more than 1.25 million people worldwide each year .

However, they add that this first study has shown that there is clear potential for further exploration of new natural products contained in its hot springs for this purpose.

The Roman baths have welcomed visitors for almost two millennia, and in 2023, more than a million people have visited the hot springs and other collections of the baths.

“People have been visiting Bath Springs for thousands of years, worshiping, bathing and drinking there over the centuries. Even in Victorian times, Bath's spa treatment center used the natural spring waters to their healing properties seen in all kinds of showers, baths and treatments It's really exciting to see cutting-edge scientific research like this happening here, at a site with so many stories to tell. Zofia Matyjaszkiewicz, Head of collections at Bains Romains, co-author of the study

Reference: Fina E, Kiernan M, Whatmough B, et al. Physicochemical and metagenomic analysis of samples from the Roman Baths (Bath, UK) reveals high bacterial and archaeal diversity as well as potential for antimicrobial discovery. The microbe. 2024;3:100075. do I: 10.1016/j.microb.2024.100075

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