Team:Oxford/Test/Project

[POJECT]

overview

The World Health Organisation have recently (May 2015) endorsed a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance is a complex problem driven by many interconnected factors. As such, single, isolated interventions have little impact. Coordinated action is required to minimize emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Our solution to antimicrobial resistance is to turn bacteria on themselves. Although bacteria are generally thought of as causing infection, most bacteria that live inside the human body are non-pathogenic and some of them can be turned, after proper engineering, into ‘smart’ living therapeutics that have the potential to treat a diverse range of diseases. We are focused specifically on treating urinary tract infections (UTIs). Resistance to one of the most widely used antibacterial drugs for the oral treatment of urinary infections caused by E. coli – fluoroquinolones – is now widespread and, with UTIs being the most commonly acquired infection at hospital, there is a huge need to find a solution for the treatment of UTIs and resistance to antimicrobial resistance.

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