The assessment of antimicrobial resistance from three perspectives: disinfection, surveillance and drug development
Publication Date
December 11, 2020
Creator
Abstract
The increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to public health. Overuse of antibiotics, combined with the diminishment of the antibiotic pipeline and genetic plasticity of microbes, places humanity in a compromised position in the fight against pathogenic bacteria. A wide range of preventative measures must be implemented to slow down the spread of resistance and avoid a post-antibiotic era, where even common infections become challenging to treat. While the urgent need to tackle the AMR crisis has been widely acknowledged, its complexity combined with the dramatic adaptability of bacteria has proven challenging. A multidisciplinary, cohesive approach is necessary to effectively find solutions to the AMR problem. The following project addressed the issue of AMR from three different perspectives. Firstly, we have assessed the effectiveness of current alcohol disinfection methods, used commonly in the clinic, and reported an alarming increase in the isopropanol tolerance of Enterococcus faecium bacterial strains. This was followed by an AMR surveillance report, assessing the spread of extended spectrum B-lactamase Escherichia coli isolates, in North Carolina. Lastly, we have analysed the potential use of polymeric nanoparticles as antibacterial agents, showing their diverse applications in bacteria eradication. By focusing on the above issues, the following project addresses the AMR challenge from three important perspectives, namely; disinfection of clinical settings, AMR surveillance and new drug development. This multidisciplinary approach demonstrates the importance of a cohesive methodology, when tackling AMR infections, demonstrating that the cooperation of different research fields is necessary to fully understand the complexity of AMR.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
MRes
Supervisors
Subjects (LC)
Associated Schools / Departments
School of Life Sciences
eprints ID
63585
UoN Repository URI
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The assessment of antimicrobial resistance from three perspectives- disinfection, surveillance and drug development.pdf
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