Problem · antibiotic resistance a threat to global health

It is estimated that at least 700 000 people die every year from the infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria — It is estimated that

at least 700 000 people die every year from the infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. If no action is taken the death toll may reach 10 million a year by 2050. It is more than the number of people currently dying from road traffic accidents and cancer together.

~O'Neill 2016

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

is the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, meaning infections persist and may spread to others.

~WHO 2017

threats element — Antibiotic apocalypse

Doctors sound alarm over drug resistance
The terrifying prospect that even routine operations will be impossible to perform has been raised by experts alarmed by the rise of drug-resistant genes

~The Guardian

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2016

The Antibiotic Apocalypse

The Resistance

Gold standard in antibiotic susceptibility testing

Currently, the antimicrobial susceptibility test, the so called antibiogram, requires growing a culture for 1-2 days in order to to identify the pathogen. The precise timescale depends on the type of bacteria. After this, an additional 12–24 hours are needed to conduct an antibiotic sensitivity screen. In the case of slow growing bacteria, e.g. M. tuberculosis, such a test may take up a full month to complete.

Sample collection
Strain isolation & identification
Antibiogram starts