If I always culture my mammalian cells in media with penicillin and streptomycin, might I be selecting for an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria over many passages? How would I know?
Sure. It was one of favorite subjects in microbiology for years. Look at https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/26f7/0c297964fda1cd54729dd995ed4f137f90f1.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC385560/
and especially Article A Practical Guide to Measuring Mutation Rates in Antibiotic Resistance
https://www.atcc.org/~/media/PDFs/Culture%20Guides/AnimCellCulture_Guide.ashx
Yes sure. The antimicrobial resistance in originally susceptible bacteria is due to chromosomal mutations or acquisition of resistance genes, often borne by mobile genetic elements, which enable the bacteria to survive or even to multiply in the presence of an antimicrobial. These modifications of the genetic luggage often impose a biological cost for the bacteria, including reduced in vitro growth rate, colonization, transmission or virulence. But bacteria frequently develop compensatory mutations or strategies to reduce this burden and recover their fitness. This capacity of adaptation, as well as other phenomena such as cross resistance or co-selection, suggests that resistant bacteria may persist after the ban of certain antimicrobials, highlighting the need for a responsible use of antimicrobials.
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