Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis, highlights the urgent need for new antimicrobial agents. Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, claiming over a million lives annually and posing increasing challenges due to the thick, lipid-rich, acid-fast cell wall of Mycobacterium species that renders them naturally resistant to many antibiotics. In this study, a soil sample collected from the Campus of Fort Hays State University yielded a bacterial isolate exhibiting strong antimicrobial activity. Initial screening against Escherichia coli MM294 showed a 10 mm inhibition zone, and subsequent testing identified the isolate as Bacillus pumilus via 16S rRNA gene sequencing (534 bp, 99.8% identity). When tested against multiple microbial targets, the isolate demonstrated moderate inhibition of Serratia marcescens, no inhibition of Candida albicans, and a pronounced 15 mm inhibition zone against Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 700084; a nonpathogenic model organism for M. tuberculosis. These findings suggest that B. pumilus produces a compound capable of penetrating or disrupting acid-fast cell walls, an uncommon property among naturally derived antibiotics. Ongoing work is focused on isolating and characterizing the active compound through solvent extraction, HPLC, and mass spectrometry to determine its chemical nature and mechanism of action. This research highlights the potential of environmental Bacillus isolates as a source of novel antimycobacterial compounds and future therapeutics.
Faculty Advisor
Eric Gillock
Department/Program
Biology
Submission Type
in-person poster
Date
3-1-2026
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Pfaff, Cody M.
(2026)
"A Bacillus pumilus Isolate With Promising Antimycobacterial Properties,"
SACAD: Scholarly Activities: Vol. 2026, Article 2.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2026/iss2026/2
