Katsura Endoh

β-Lactams and Other Innovative New Approaches for Controlling Bacterial Populations

β-lactam antibiotics, with a history far longer than most people imagine, date back to antiquity in Greece, China and other countries [1]. They were first documented with scientific precision by Alexander Fleming in 1929 [2], and were developed to the stage of large-scale production for clinical use by H.W. Florey and his collaborators [3].

From Carbon to Biosonics

Several studies showing the definite growth-enhancing or promoting effect of carbon material upon certain bacteria have been reported. Charcoal and graphite added to solidified or liquid culture media enhanced the growth of Gonococcus and Meningococcus [1], Legionella pneumophila [2], and Haemophilus pertussis [3] ; and of several strains of Bacillus carboniphilus [4–6] and Bacillus stearothermophilus [6] under a non-permissive stress condition. It has been proposed that activated charcoal detoxifies peroxide and various free radicals of oxygen in culture media, resulting in the enhancement of the growth of Legionella [7].