• Question: can you create TB yourself in a lab and how difficult would it be?

    Asked by Katie Dixon to Emma on 14 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Emma Roycroft

      Emma Roycroft answered on 14 Nov 2016:

      Well, you can’t create TB, but if you have a tiny amount of TB, you can put it in a vial with liquid containing lots of nutrients and it will grow, so you can make more of it. I’m glad we can’t make any more TB, there is plenty of it in the world already!

Comments

  • Photo: Monica

    Monica commented on :

    TB stands for tuberculosis. TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There is actually many different mycobacteria within the species. Mycobacterium leprae is what causes leprosy. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is difficult to treat due to its cell wall.Mycobacteria are naturally resistant to many antibiotics. They can survive long exposures to acids and alkalis. If someone has TB they are placed on triple therapy(i.e.-3 antibiotics) for 6 months-9 months. But what we have seen worldwide is that many Mycobacterium are becoming resistant to these antibiotics and so is becoming difficult to treat these patients.

  • Photo: Thomas

    Thomas commented on :

    potentially any bacterium can be created in the lab by means of GM technology or synthetic biology (SB) as some people like to call it. I believe SB is only an extension of GM technology