Determining the Rate of Development of Antibiotic Resistance to Streptomycin and Doxycycline in Escherichia coli

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a pressing issue in the medical field today. It is important to understand the development of bacterial resistance to implement effective preventative measures against antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study investigated the rate at which Escherichia coli (E. coli), a common pathogen, developed resistance to streptomycin and doxycycline, as Oz et al. (2014) showed differing levels of resistance in E. coli to these two antibiotics. The development of antibiotic resistance was measured by adding E. coli to 96-well plates in the presence of increasing doses of doxycycline, streptomycin, or a combination treatment. Successive generations were added to the same treatments to see whether they would grow at higher concentrations of antibiotic. The change in minimum inhibitory concentration for streptomycin and doxycycline was determined as the bacteria became increasingly resistant to each antibiotic. The fastest rate of antibiotic resistance was observed for streptomycin, with doxycycline resistance exhibiting a slower rate of development. The rate of resistance development for the combination treatment was the slowest, potentially due to small differences in target domains. Some cross-resistance was also observed. This study provides a small-scale methodological basis and preliminary insight on antibiotic resistance trends for two antibiotic classes and a combination treatment.