Can a science-based analysis of spiritual healing sites help in the discovery of new antibiotics?

Societies around the world have relied on local folk cures and traditional medicine for thousands of years before modern medicine. These cures and treatments were developed without the benefit and insights of modern science. Often they have a spiritual or religious component. Unfortunately, this means that the medical community often dismisses or ignores these approaches to healing as being "unscientific" or even "quackery". But, many of these traditions have been relied on by communities for generations.

This leads to the question of whether a scientific analysis of these pre-scientific treatments can help us to identify promising new antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products?

CERES researcher, Dr. Gerry Quinn, has been investigating this possibility for more than a decade. Recently, he co-authored a new article in the Journal of Religion and Health and an essay in The Microbiologist on the latest advances in this fascinating investigation into the interplay between science and spirituality. Below is the press release for these studies:

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Press release

May 5, 2025 – A pioneering study published in The Microbiologist proposes that spiritual healing sites, revered for centuries, may hold the key to discovering new antibiotic-producing microorganisms.

Lead author Dr. Gerry Quinn says that the study highlights the potential of culturally significant locations as fertile ground for novel antibiotics, particularly from Streptomyces bacteria, known for producing the majority of current antibiotics.

The study, titled "Could Spiritual Healing Sites be Fertile Ground for New Antibiotics?", covers the main findings from a recent paper in the Journal of Religion and Health by Quinn and Harris. This explores how Streptomyces species, often found in extreme environments like deserts, caves, and alkaline soils, thrive in conditions overlapping with spiritually significant sites. These sites, including Northern Ireland’s Boho church graveyard, Egypt’s ancient tombs, and the Atacama Desert, share such characteristics as nutrient-poor soils and unique geology that may foster unique microbial adaptations, potentially yielding antibiotics with novel structures to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Quinn’s research originated in the West Fermanagh Scarplands, where local spiritual healing soils led to the isolation of Streptomyces sp. myrophorea, a bacteria that demonstrated  remarkable activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). Further discoveries of Streptomyces species from the same site demonstrated antifungal, antiviral, and antibiotic-potentiating properties, underscoring the potential of these locations.

The current study draws parallels between spiritual healing sites and traditional medicines, noting that caves, holy wells, and sacred soils—often linked to ancient healing practices—harbour Streptomyces species with proven antimicrobial activity. For example, a Streptomyces rich substance known as moonmilk from Belgian caves and cervimycins from Italy’s Grotta dei Cervi have shown efficacy against resistant bacteria. The research goes on to suggest that the cultural and spiritual context of these sites may reveal new insights into holistic healing approaches, combining microbial compounds with broader physiological effects.

“Spiritual healing sites are more than just cultural relics; they can also be a new resource while carrying cryptic messages from the past,” said Drake Harris, one of the original study’s authors. He went on to add that “by understanding their unique cultural and spiritual context, we can unlock innovative approaches to tackling the global antibiotic resistance crisis.”

The authors call for further exploration of these sites, emphasizing the need to respect their cultural significance. Many key questions still remain unanswered about these mysterious Streptomyces including the role of environmental factors such as radon in their physiology and the interphase of their volatile metabolites on human physiology.

Further information

• Quinn, G.A. and Harris, D (2025). The Blessed Clay from Boho, Northern Ireland: Can the Nature of Spiritual Healing Sites Guide us Towards New Sources of Drug Discovery?. J Relig Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02311-9

• Paula Duddy and Gerry Quinn (2025). "Could spiritual healing sites be fertile ground for new antibiotics?" The Microbiologist, 5 May 2025.