skip to main content

I Contain Multitudes: Superbugs That Resist Antibiotics Can Evolve in 11 Days

9 minutes 20 seconds

Videos are generally available for preview to non-members as short clips. Limited full-length titles are also available. Log In to view the full length title.

Browse Full-length Non-member Titles
A microscopic view shows a number of microbes.

In 1928, a physician named Alexander Fleming observed that a mold in one of his Petri dishes was killing the bacteria he was trying to grow. This strain of mold led to one of the most significant medical discoveries in history: the antibiotic penicillin. Antibiotics soon became lifesavers. However, even back then, Fleming knew that bacteria could become resistant to penicillin. This video describes how widespread use of antibiotics in medicine, agriculture, and household products can lead to the evolution of microbes that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Part of the "I Contain Multitudes" series.

Media Details

Runtime: 9 minutes 20 seconds

A diagram illustrates a lot of microbes in the blood, high temperature and a human skeleton.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 1
7 minutes 11 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Mushrooms.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 2
8 minutes 3 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A diagram illustrates a seal going to dine on a squid.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 3
8 minutes 6 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A microscopic view shows a number of microbes.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 4
9 minutes 20 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
An oceanic map. A scale shows a submarine diving below 3000 feet.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 5
10 minutes 20 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
A diagram shows illustrations of butterflies, wasps, bees, and caterpillars.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 6
9 minutes 3 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12
Micros images of an insect.
I Contain Multitudes
Episode 7
9 minutes 10 seconds
Grade Level: 10 - 12