Grant: Operating Grant: Antimicrobial Resistance

The emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is spreading globally amongst microorganisms and threatens many of the gains that the medical community have made against infectious disease. The exposure of microorganisms to antimicrobial drugs has resulted in a situation in which therapeutics are no longer effective against particular strain. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans or the blanket use of antibiotics in farmed animals and fish have accelerated AMR. leading to an increased global risk with prolonged patient illness, disability, and death. The lack of effective drugs also makes riskier many life-saving medical procedures such as organ transplantation or major surgical procedures, cancer chemotherapy and diabetes management. Additionally, AMR has given rise to hospital acquired infections in which difficult to combat organisms are a problem for a susceptible sub-population that are, on average, immunocompromised compared with the rest of society. The primary example of this in humans is when antibiotics are prescribed and taken by individuals with viral infections. It is clear that the development of a diagnostic test designed to to discriminate between bacterial in viral infections in those instances where both have similar symptoms in a patient. We are developing a nanostructured thin-film device that can be used at point of care (POC) to detect particular biomarkers. These rapid and sensitive POC diagnostics will allow members of the medical community, from the family doctor to the emergency room worker, the ability to confidently diagnose at time of visit to ensure that each prescription for antibiotics is based on a scientific evidence.