Final answer:
A characteristic that is not ideal for an antimicrobial agent is that it affects only proteins, as ideal agents should target multiple microbial components. The modified drug from a soil bacterium is considered semisynthetic. Soil is the source of compounds with most antimicrobial activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
All of the following are characteristics of an ideal antimicrobial agent except:
- It is harmless to humans
- It affects only proteins
An ideal antimicrobial agent should not be harmful to humans, but it also should not just affect proteins since microbes have other components that can be targeted. In terms of the question on the property of a new antimicrobial drug, when a soil bacterium produces an antimicrobial compound that is modified chemically to kill a broader range of bacteria, such a drug is considered semisynthetic. This is because the base compound is produced naturally by the bacterium, but it has been chemically altered to enhance its effect.
As for selective toxicity, a quality of antimicrobial drugs, it refers to the ability of an antimicrobial drug to harm the target microbe without harming the host. Environmental conditions such as temperature and pH can influence the potency of antimicrobial agents, and higher concentrations generally increase efficacy.
Lastly, the source that has yielded compounds with the most antimicrobial activity is soil. This is due to the diverse microorganisms that can be found in soil, many of which produce substances to protect against microbial competitors.