£4.5m grant to investigate antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans

UCL Eastman Dental Institute is coordinating a research consortium that has won a European Community grant worth more than £4.5 million to investigate the effects of antibiotics on antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans. The project, which will focus on the emergence and persistence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans, brings together nine European partners from the university and commercial sectors with expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, metagenomics, micro-arrays, gene sequencing and clinical trials. Antibiotic resistance is one of the major medical problems facing humankind today as evidenced by the recent threat of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The problem is widespread, affecting almost every bacterial species for which treatment with antibiotics is available, including organisms responsible for skin, bone, lung, and bloodstream infections; foodborne infections; and infections transmitted in hospitals. In recent years, resistance to several antibiotic classes has developed in some species, resulting in the occurrence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, also known as 'superbugs'. The occurrence of superbugs is associated with treatment failures, higher morbidity and mortality, and increased cost. In Europe, it has long been recognised that antibiotic resistance is a multifaceted threat to the health of the European population.