(August 2003) Antibiotics are compounds that act to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria1. The etymology of the term can be broken down into two roots: the prefix “anti-” meaning “opposed to” or “preventing” and “biotic” coming from the Greek word for life. In nature, various microbes and fungi secrete these compounds to gain an advantage in their microenvironment and it is from these very organisms that antibiotics are commonly use isolated [1]. The Discovery of Antibiotics The stories of the discovery of antibiotics are dramatic and full of human interest, both on a global and personal scale. Two…