News outlets report on a study published in the journal Nature describing a new experimental antibiotic extracted from soil samples.

New York Times: From a Pile of Dirt, Hope for a Powerful New Antibiotic
“An unusual method for producing antibiotics may help solve an urgent global problem: the rise in infections that resist treatment with commonly used drugs, and the lack of new antibiotics to replace ones that no longer work. The method, which extracts drugs from bacteria that live in dirt, has yielded a powerful new antibiotic, researchers reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday…” (Grady, 1/7).

Reuters: Scientists find antibiotic that kills bugs without resistance
“…Researchers said the antibiotic, which has yet to be trialed in humans, could one day be used to treat drug-resistant infections caused by the superbug MSRA, as well as tuberculosis, which normally requires a combination of drugs that can have adverse side effects…” (Kelland, 1/8).

Wall Street Journal: Scientists Discover Potent Antibiotic, A Potential Weapon Against a Range of Diseases
“…While the new compound was shown to be safe and effective in mice, scientists need to determine whether this is the case for people. The discovery of the new class of antibiotic, called teixobactin, was reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. It was uncovered by screening 10,000 bacterial strains from soil. Teixobactin will be investigated further in animals before being tested in people…” (Gaik, 1/8).