antibiotic resistance Archives

Combatting antimicrobial resistance using novel small fusion proteins

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Antibiotic resistance is a public health burden worldwide. Alternatives to antibiotics that can counter the detrimental effects of resistant ‘superbugs’ are urgently needed. Dr Xristo Zarate at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico and his collaborators have worked extensively on developing novel small carrier proteins, like SmbP and CusF3H+, for recombinant protein and peptide expression and purification in […]

Exploring the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes within poultry litter

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Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human and animal health. Bacteria containing antibiotic resistance genes are found in poultry litter, usually from commercial chicken production. Since poultry litter is often used as a soil fertiliser, there is a risk that this antibiotic resistance could be transferred into the soil. Professor John Maurer at Virginia Tech University, USA, has shown […]

Antimicrobial stewardship programmes: Remote consultations can help reduce antibiotic resistance

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The researchers examined the impact of remote consultations with an infectious disease physician.

The increased use of antibiotic therapy to treat infectious diseases is driving up antimicrobial resistance as well as economic and healthcare costs. Antimicrobial stewardship programmes are crucial to monitor and evaluate medication use. Valéria Cassettari, Newton Novato, and Maria Helena Flesch Onuchic at NotreDame Intermédica Advanced Outpatient Clinic in São Paulo, Brazil, explored the impact of remote consultations with an […]

From friend to foe: Food strains share their toxic genes in E. coli

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The team investigates plasmid content in food isolates of E. coli and its role as a reservoir for the horizontal transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes to clinical isolates.

Food-borne bacteria can cause life-threatening disease, yet it is still unclear why some strains are tolerated by the host. To find an answer, a project led by Professor Rosa del Carmen Rocha-Gracia (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico) and Professor Manel Camps (University of California Santa Cruz, USA) analysed the genetic diversity of Escherichia coli populations, comparing isolates from food […]

New molecules help battle antimicrobial resistance

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Professor Jonathan Wade and Dr Wenyi Li focus on alternatives to antibiotics including researching peptides and modifying them in a technique called polymerisation to fight the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance.

The overuse of antibiotics over the years has made them less effective in fighting infectious diseases and has led to the emergence of superbugs that are resistant to many different antibiotics. Professor John Wade and Dr Wenyi Li at the University of Melbourne, Australia, together with their collaborators, focus on the development of new antimicrobials to combat infections caused by […]

Epidemiology–laboratory interactions for developing resilience against future infectious diseases

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Salmonella is the leading cause of deaths caused by foodborne illnesses in the USA.

Bacteria are one of the leading causes of public health burden associated with food and waterborne diseases. In addition, they have many abilities that allow them to survive decontamination methods, such as biofilm formation. With the rise in antibiotic resistance and climate change also driving bacterial proliferation, new approaches are needed to mitigate the public health burden of infectious diseases. […]

Changing climate: A ‘threat multiplier’ for foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance

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Aliyar Fouladkhah examines the risks of foodborne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes.

Dr Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah of Tennessee State University is an Assistant Professor in Public Health Microbiology. His laboratory explores preventive measures for the spread of infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and food security in the landscape of changing climate. His research aims to provide better understanding of the ecology, epidemiology and effectiveness of control measures of enteric and environmental pathogens at […]

Candida auris: The path of yeast resistance

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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have gained a lot of attention in recent years, but there’s another budding ‘villain’ that demands a spotlight and it comes in the form of a yeast. Candida auris debuted on the public health scene in 2009 after it was isolated from a Japanese patient’s ear canal. Since then, the multidrug-resistant fungus has become a “major healthcare threat, […]

Could functional oils solve the antibiotic resistance problem?

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Antibiotics have traditionally been used to control disease in farmed animals, such as broiler chickens and cattle. However, with the rise in antibiotic resistance, many countries have banned the use of antibiotics in this way. Dr Joan Torrent and his colleagues at Oligo Basics, of Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil, are investigating novel alternatives to antibiotics. They are focusing their efforts on plant-derived functional […]

Unlocking the chemical secrets of microbial conversations

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Dr Matt Traxler of the University of California, Berkeley, is changing the way we study microbes. Gone are the days of thinking about a single species in a pure culture in the lab – Traxler and his team of graduate students and postdocs are developing a version of mass spectrometry which promises to allow single microbial cells, and their interactions […]