•
BIDDEFORD, Maine

Meghan May discusses antibiotic resistance on β€˜²Ρ±Κ΅ώ±·β€™s’ β€œMaine Calling”

Meghan May

Meghan May, Ph.D., associate professor at the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, was a guest on an episode of ²Ρ±Κ΅ώ±·β€™s β€œMaine Calling” that focused on antibiotic resistance.

The subject of so-called β€œsuperbugs” has been widely publicized, most recently when a strain of bacteria resistant to the antibiotic Colistin caused an infection in Pennsylvania. May, an expert in infectious disease, was asked how these types of bacteria evolve to become resistant to antibiotics. β€œThis is why physicians say you should use all of your antibiotics and you shouldn’t use them when not necessary,” May said. β€œThe reason for that ties straight into the concept of evolution. If you add antibiotics into a bacterial population you are effectively poisoning them. Those compounds do something destructive to those cells and whoever is left standing at the end of it is the one who is least effected by it. So if you leave any [bacteria] standing at the end of this, that is the population that is going to grow back and re-inhabit whatever space was abandoned.” 

 

To learn more about the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, visit

To apply, visit 

About the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν

The 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.