Charles O. Rock Ph.D. Of Journal of Biochemistry reported in a paper published in September that it was possible for E. coli bacteria to develop a resistance to triclosan. Rock showed that triclosan inhibited an enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis produced by a gene called fabI, and that mutations in the fabI gene caused resistance to triclosan. Basically doing what any other living organism would do the Ecoli Bacteria are trying to find ways to live just like many other bacteria will follow. "The ability of E. coli to acquire genetic resistance to triclosan and related compounds through mutations in the fabI gene suggests that the widespread use of this drug will lead to the appearance of resistant organisms that will eventually compromise the usefulness of triclosan, and other antibacterials that interact with the same target," Rock said.