CONTRIBUTION OF SOIL MICROORGANISMS IN ANTIBIOTIC PRODUCTION

Antibiotics are the metabolic by products of complex biosynthetic pathways in the microorganisms. They are often touted as one of the most important discoveries of the modern medicine. It contributes to save millions of lives and to control the majority of bacterial infectious diseases. Intensive research on antibiotics has been carried out globally for approximately thirty five to forty years whereas the search for new antibiotics still continues in a rather over looked hunting grounds. Recent studies dealt with the search for new antibiotics and their interest stemmed in the soil microbials due to its large biodiversity in search for new useful compounds. There are also reports presented by different researchers on the secondary metabolites potential of different Bacterial, Fungal and Antinomycetes species. This article compiles the historical background, factors, needs, source and future prospects of secondary metabolites and the role and bioactivity of microorganisms' in habitat in soil for the development of new antibiotics as a life saving agents for everyone. To determine microbial diversity within the soil is crucial in the past but with the new methods it is now possible to detect both culturable and un-culturable microbial species. It is a brief overview of the antibiotic development through years and its emergence. Thus in this review contribution of soil microbials for the development of novel antibiotics and designing more effective preventive measures in the future have been discussed. Keywords: Antibiotics, Soil microbials, Life saving agents.