Ben NormanDue to its unrivaled mineral deposits, Arizona is nicknamed the āCopper State.ā Dr. Michael Johnson, an immunobiologist at the University of Arizona, is taking that nickname to new heights as he embarks on a study to use copper as an antibiotic.
Copperās toxicity makes it the perfect metal for combatting pathogenic bacteria. Deadly bacteria such as pneumonia and meningitis thrive on metals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium; consequently, microphages ā which combat bacteria ā take these bacteria to a ācompartmentā where they are deprived of these essential metals and are instead ambushed by copper.
Dr. Johnson hopes to capitalize on the effective role copper already plays in our immune system and take it to the next level; he believes it could be an integral part of the next wave of medicine. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has gifted Johnson and his team a $1.9 million grant to extend his research on copper.
āWhat weāre trying to decide is why thatās so effective,ā Johnson said. āWe know it works, but we donāt know how; things we thought we knew weāre currently revising. Weāre basically using a basic science approach to drive translational discoveries.ā
University of Arizona President Robert Robbins expressed his excitement for the grant and Johnsonās studies. āIt is also quite fitting that this work is happening in Arizona, where copper has a long history as a major economic driver,ā Robbins said. āDr. Johnson’s work could be the path to uncovering copper’s potential as a novel, lifesaving tool in the fight against a deadly bacteria, and I am very excited to see the results.ā
Johnson doesnāt want to make any assumptions before he concludes his experimentation, but he feels highly optimistic about the medicinal effectiveness of copper. āWhat I will say is copper has been used as an antimicrobial since the time of Egyptians, which was how long ago?ā he points out. āOther antibiotics have been overcome by bacteria in the past 100 years. Thereās something about copper that bacteria canāt adapt out of as quickly.ā
Johnson emphasizes that although heās excited for his research, he isnāt the only person in the state ā or university, for that matter ā uncovering exceptional scientific discoveries. āMake no mistake about it ā Iām not the only one doing cool stuff like this,ā he said. āYou stand on some personās shoulders, and they stand on another personās shoulders, and they stand on another personās shoulders, and then maybe we can peak over a fence and figure out how something works.ā
He highlights his time at the University of Arizona as being instrumental in his success. āMy department is great, my colleagues are great,ā he said. āWhen you come to an environment where you work with your friends, itās easier to get things done. I really feel happy here. The students and trainees in my lab have been awesome; theyāve been working their butts off because they believe in the cause as much as I do.ā
As Johnson notes, ācopper is on the up-and-up.ā
Madeline Mitchell
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