With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, which launched a cascade of discovery of novel antibiotics in the coming years. This was arguably the most important discovery that has led to an increase in the quality of life and life expectancy of humans. With the many new antimicrobial drugs being found, it was easy to visit the doctor when you became sick because the prescribed antibiotics worked effectively and you were back to feeling great in a relatively short amount of time.

In recent years, antibiotics have become less effective and the increase in antibiotic resistance has skyrocketed. It is also important to note that the amount of novel antibiotics being discovered is decreasing. This poses a new danger where antibiotics that have previously wiped out infections are now struggling to combat waves of resistant bacteria.