Final answer:
The development of new antibiotics is called a 'battle of wits versus natural selection' because biologists and doctors must outpace bacterial evolution, which creates antibiotic-resistant strains through natural selection. This ongoing evolutionary challenge necessitates continuous innovation in antibiotic development and treatment strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The article refers to the development of new antibiotics as a 'battle of wits versus natural selection' because doctors and biologists must continuously outsmart the rapid evolutionary adaptations of bacteria, which have led to antibiotic resistance.
In this evolutionary arms race, the excessive use of antibiotics applies selective pressure, allowing only bacteria with resistant genes to survive and proliferate. This resistance was not a direct response to the antibiotics but rather an existing variation within the bacterial population.
Natural selection thus tests the wits of doctors and biologists as they must develop new strategies and drugs to combat these resistant bacteria. This might involve creating new antibiotics or devising alternative treatment approaches. The challenge is significant, as each new antibiotic can potentially lead to the selection of even more resistant bacterial strains unless used judiciously.
The form of evolution represented by antibiotic resistance is an example of natural selection at work. The pre-existing genetic variations within bacterial populations that confer resistance become more common as these bacteria survive antibiotic treatments and pass their resistant genes to subsequent generations.