Roman Baths Host Diverse Array of Microorganisms; Could They Help Scientists Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance?

A team of researchers has conducted bacterial and archaeal community exploration in the Roman Baths which remains unexplored in terms of microbial activity.

Microbial Diversity in Roman Baths

Ancient ruins dating back to the Roman Empire teach us a lot about the military conquests of the Romans. Archaeological finds also reveal that these people have strong liking towards wine fountains, plumbing, and bathing facilities.

Many of the legacies left by the Romans are still useful today, especially in terms of architecture, currency, and sanitation. Surprisingly, some microorganisms recently discovered at the famous Roman Baths may hold clues for the modern challenge of increasing antibiotic resistance.

In a recent study, a team of scientists gathered samples of water, biofilm, and sediment from several locations of Roman Baths in the city of Bath in southwestern England. These include the King's Spring with waters of about 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) and the Great Bath with temperatures closer to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).

Led by Enus Fina, the researchers used bacterial culturing techniques and genetic sequencing technology in analyzing and isolating the bacteria which show antibiotic activity. The result of their study is discussed in the paper "Physicochemical and metagenomic analysis of samples from the Roman Baths (Bath, UK) reveals high bacterial and archaeal diversity and a potential for antimicrobial discovery."

The team discovered around 300 distinct types of bacteria from across the Roman Baths, including Myxococcota and Actinobacteria. These are considered key candidate groups known for their antibiotic production. The various concentrations of these useful bacteria were also prominent within the varying water temperatures.

Additional testing methods revealed that 15 of these isolates, like Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, had some levels of inhibition against common human pathogens such as Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.

Potential Tool Against Antimicrobial Resistance

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance remains one of the most serious global public threats in this century. It is estimated that antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for the deaths of 1.27 million worldwide in 2019.

Several strains of E. coli were found to become resistant to antibiotics. Shigella infections lead to about 450,000 infections in the US each year. Meanwhile, infections from Staphylococcus aureus infect millions of people every year, especially in healthcare settings.

This research is still being expanded and will be among the first in-depth investigations of the British thermal hot spring focused on antimicrobial discovery. The project is scheduled to begin in October 20204 and will include the application of a variety of laboratory techniques to screen the discovered microorganisms.

According to the researchers, more additional investigation must be conducted before the microbes discovered in the Roman Baths can be used in fighting infections and diseases. Still, they believe that their early findings show the potential of these bacteria for new natural products which can be explored further.

The Roman Baths have been accommodating visitors for almost two thousand years. In 2023, over one million people toured its famous hot springs and other collections.