Researchers at the University of Exeter have discovered that bacteria receive powerful benefits when exposed to antibiotics. They subjected E.coli bacteria to eight rounds of antibiotic treatment and found that not only did the bacteria display increased antibiotic resistance after each round, but they also reproduced much faster and formed much larger colonies than before being exposed to antibiotics. They kept these benefits even after the treatment was stopped. This study reminds us of the importance to properly treat bacterial infections so that we prevent creating superbugs like the one in this experiment.
Antibiotics can boost bacterial reproduction