New antibiotics
STUDENT SHEETS beta version
© CSE and ASE 2011
This page may have been changed from the original
Contents
Sheet number Title
Notes
SS1
Health minister briefing
Consumable – 1 per pair
SS2
Bacteria info sheet
Reusable – 1 per pair
SS3
Cockroach lab
Reusable - 6 per class of 30
SS4
Honey lab
Reusable – 6 per class of 30
SS5
Silver nanoparticle lab
Reusable – 6 per class of 30
SS6
Reasoner lifeline
Reusable – 1 per pair
2
© CSE and ASE 2011
Health minister briefing
1 What are drug-resistant bacteria?
SS1
3 Why do drug-resistant bacteria
spread so fast?
2 How do drug-resistant bacteria develop?
genes
bacteria
in Sam
Sam takes an
antibiotic
Only kills this
type of bacteria
© CSE and ASE 2011
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Bacteria info sheet
1 What are drug-resistant
bacteria?
MRSA bacteria are harmless on
your skin. But if they get in
through a cut they may cause a
fatal infection.
Doctors fight most infections with
antibiotics. Different antibiotics
target different bacteria. But
antibiotics cannot kill every type
of bacteria that make us ill. These
bacteria are resistant. Over the
years, more and more types of
bacteria – like MRSA – have
become resistant to antibiotics.
SS2
2 How do drug-resistant bacteria develop?
Sometimes, the genes in bacteria change, or mutate.
This happens naturally. Most mutations are not
useful to bacteria, but occasionally they make
bacteria resist antibiotics.
Sam has a throat infection. He takes antibiotic
tablets. The antibiotic kills nearly all the bacteria.
But a few bacteria – the resistant ones – survive.
These bacteria reproduce rapidly. This is natural
selection.
Bacteria are more likely to become resistant if
● lots of people take antibiotics for minor illnesses
● if people don’t finish all the tablets
● if doctors prescribe the wrong antibiotics.
3 Why do drug-resistant bacteria spread so fast?
Resistant strains of bacteria spread quickly from person to
person. This is because no one is immune to the bacteria,
and there is no treatment that works.
© CSE and ASE 2011
Research
Cockroach lab 2
Cockroach lab 1
Scientist Simon Lee, UK
SS3
SS3
Scientist U.M. Seraj, Bangladesh
Hypothesi
s
Cockroach brain juice
Hypothesi
s
Cockroach brain juice could
could cut MRSA infections in humans because
cut MRSA infections in humans because it
it contains substances that kill bacteria.
Investigation
● grow two types of bacteria on agar plates
● add cockroach brain juice and leave for
two hours at 37 ºC.
Results
Type of bacteria
Percentage of bacteria
killed
MRSA
More than 90
Escherichia coli
More than 90
If an antibiotic kills 90% of the
bacteria, your body’s immune system
can kill the rest.
● grow different types of bacteria on agar plates
● add cockroach juice and leave overnight at 37 ºC.
Results
Zone of clearance (mm)
Investigation
© CSE and ASE 2011
contains substances that kill bacteria.
Type of bacteria
Honey lab 1
Research
Hypothesis honey could cut MRSA
infections in humans because it contains
substances that destroy bacteria.
Observations
A 12-year old leukaemia patient
had an MRSA-infected wound.
Doctors treated the wound with
antiseptic for 12 days. It did not
get better.
Then doctors treated the wound with
Australian medical honey, made from
Manuka flowers. Two days later, the
wound had cleared up.
Manuka
flowers
Scientist Ahmed Sukari Halim, Malaysia.
Hypothesis honey could cut MRSA infections in humans
because it contains substances that destroy bacteria.
Investigation
● anaesthetise 36 rats, and make burn
wounds on them
● infect the rat wounds with bacteria
● cover the wounds with honey
Results
Relative number of
bacteria
Scientist Arne Simon, Germany
Honey lab 2
days after honey dressings applied
© CSE and ASE 2011
SS4
SS4
© CSE and ©
ASE
CSE
2011
and ASE 2011
Silver nanoparticle lab
Scientist Nilda Ayala-Núṅez, Mexico
Hypothesis silver nanoparticles could cut MRSA infections in
humans because they contain substances that destroy bacteria..
Investigation
● Add silver nanoparticles to resistant bacteria on agar plates.
● Leave for 24 hours at 35 ºC.
Results
Type of resistant
bacteria
Percentage of bacteria
destroyed after 24 hours
S. pyogenes
99.7
P. aerugionosa
92.8
E. coli
95.7
If an antibiotic kills 90% of the bacteria, your
body’s immune system can kill the rest.
© CSE and ASE 2011
SS5
Reasoner
LIFELINE
Start here
More than 1 piece of evidence
CHECK
EVIDENCE
No
Does
each piece of evidence
support the claim*?
NEXT STEPS
1 piece of evidence
Is there any
evidence to support
the claim*?
No
Yes
Yes
A LOT of support
SUMMARISE
Use this lifeline to make
SS6
conclusions from the lab data
A LITTLE support
Explain HOW WELL the evidence
supports the claim* overall.
Suggest a test to make
the claim stronger.
Describe the results
you expect if the
claim* is correct.
NO support
Explain why the
evidence opposes the
claim* or is irrelevant.
Say the claim* could
be wrong. Suggest a
claim that fits the
evidence better.
* or hypothesis
© CSE and ASE 2011
technical notes
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Credits
Gary Talbot, Writer
Philippa Hulme, Editor
Tony Sherborne, Executive editor
Picture
Wound contraction effects and
antibacterial properties of Tualang
honey on full-thickness burn
wounds in rats in comparison to
hydrofibre.
Slide
6
Credit
BMC – Complementary and Alternative
Medicine.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010;
10: 48.
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