Edited by Lianne Lee
Superbugs are dangerous microscopic organisms that are the byproduct of mankind’s rash decisions. However, new discoveries allow us to take a closer look at this abomination, and help decipher just what makes it so deadly.
Superbugs are a type of pathogen that has developed a resistance to antibiotics and most common medicines, leading to an exceptionally resilient microorganism (Kurzgesagt, 2016). This has become an increasingly prominent issue as more and more medications are being used for less and less severe illnesses, which naturally selects bacteria more resilient to the medicine, gradually mutating and transforming into something almost completely immune to all our defences against pathogens.
However, a new device called the super-resolution microscope which utilizes laser technology to allow for a clearer image of superbugs and pathogens in general. Prior to this development, electron microscopes were used to study microorganisms. However, something as small as a superbug was harder to study due to an electron microscope’s ability to view atoms, which obscure the view of the microbe. Nonetheless, using something that goes by the name of NanoVIB (NANO-scale Visualisation to understand Bacterial virulence and invasiveness), a much clearer identification of superbugs can be developed, including being able to identify the protein patterns on the surface (The Engineer, 2021).
As we progress through the years and improve our technology, we will one day be able to identify and understand the microorganism world unknown to the average person and protect ourselves from the dangers they impose.
Bibliography
Kurzgesagt. (2016). The Deadliest Being on Planet Earth – The Bacteriophage. Retrieved
December 1,2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI3tsmFsrOg
Laser light reveals superbugs at molecular-scale resolution. (2021, November 26). The
Engineer.https://www.theengineer.co.uk/laser-light-superbugs-molecular-scale/
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