Stress may protect -- at least in bacteria

(Institute of Science and Technology Austria) Antibiotics harm bacteria and stress them. Trimethoprim, an antibiotic, inhibits the growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli and induces a stress response. This response also protects the bacterium from subsequent deadly damage from acid. Antibiotics can therefore increase the survival chances of bacteria under certain conditions. This is shown in a study by researchers at IST Austria (Karin Mitosch, Georg Rieckh and Tobias Bollenbach), which was published in the journal Cell Systems.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news