Streptomycin antibiotic and bacteria. Illustration of molecular models of the antibiotic streptomycin (green and yellow) acting on bacteria (red). Antibiotics are used to treat and prevent bacterial infections. Their effect is to kill or to inhibit the growth of bacteria. Streptomycin is a protein synthesis inhibitor that was discovered in the 1940s. It is derived from the actinobacterium Streptomyces griseus. It was the first effective drug treatment for tuberculosis (TB) but because of serious side-effects it has largely been replaced by other antibiotics to treat TB. It is used to treat endocarditis and plague infections (Yersinia pestis).