able to develop resistance to the drugs. From there, those bacteria are then able to exchange their genetic material with other germs nearby. This may sound crazy but it is actually a well-researched phenomenon. The Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA) writes, "Genetically, antibiotic resistance spreads through bacteria populations both 'vertically,' when new generations inherit antibiotic resistance genes, and 'horizontally,' when bacteria share or exchange sections of genetic material with other bacteria. Horizontal gene transfer can even occur between different bacterial species." The APUA also notes that antibiotic resistance can and will spread throughout the environment as bacteria move from one place to another