New research suggests drought conditions may promote elevated antibiotic resistance in soil microbes, researchers reported yesterday in Nature Microbiology. To determine how drought might affect soil microbial communities, which have been the source of many antibiotics used in clinical medicine, scientists from the California Institute of Technology began by compiling five metagenomic datasets. … When the researchers exposed dried soil samples to a representative natural antibiotic (phenazine-1-carboxylic acid), they found that lower water content favored the growth of bacteria that were resistant to the antibiotic. In addition, they found that drought conditions also increased the abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes.

Other drought impact news:

• The Washington Post: Wildfires rip through unusual parts of U.S., raising fears of a brutal season
• LAist: This little red California flower rapidly evolved to save itself from drought​
• Manteca Bulletin (Calif.): Opinion: The $13.85 watermelon: Why it is in best interest of your pocketbook that California farming thrives​