Would natural selection in fungi help against antibiotic resistance?

[Atkera]

Good Day

 

It came to me, that in the fight against antibiotic resistance, it would help to combat nature with nature. The penicillin mould as Fleming discovered it was an antibiotic, its abilities evident through a simple petri dish culture, but now bacteria have grown resistant. Would it be wise to attempt to grow the penicillin fungus, and then introducing bacteria which are resistant to it, in an effort to drive on natural selection in fungi to make them produce better, new antibiotics? Has this been attempted before? Do you think it would/wouldn't work?

 

I would be delighted in hearing any opinions on this topic. If this has been attempted before and you know any relevant literature on the matter, I'd really appreciate a citation please!

 

This is my first time posting here so I'm sorry if the format isn't right or whatnot, but I was struck with curiosity and I want to discuss this matter with other people of scientific interest. I'd also like to add that I am by no means a professional scientist; I am merely an enthusiast.

[Function]

This has been attempted before. Penicillium chrysogenum has been added to an MRSA, methicillin-resistant S. aureus. (cf. advanced penicillin resistance)

 

Result: MRSA wins with its beta-lactamases (e.g. penicillinase). Why? Because it reproduces itself much faster than P. chrysogenum.

 

So not sure if it'd ever work.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Function