Antimicrobial resistance and pollutants: interactive studies and novel sensor technologies

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major threat to modern healthcare. Since India has one of the highest per capita uses of antibiotics it faces very significant challenges. It is also now known that antibiotic-resistant microbes found in the environment (e.g. water) contribute to the transfer of resistance and in recognition of this the World Health Organisation Global Action recognises the important role played by water. Of particular importance here is the way in which pollutants promote AMR. For example heavy metals in water correlates with AMR. Likewise the wide scale use of compounds such as triclosan (e.g. in soaps, shampoos, toothpaste) is leading to the development of AMR to a range of clinically important antibiotics. However this issue and link between pollutants and AMR is poorly understood. Thus we have a scenario where in India we have very high-levels of antibiotic use and AMR and high levels of pollutants that will exacerbate the problem.This proposal brings together a team lead by Heriot Watt University and includes the world leading Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the James Hutton Institute and the University of Edinburgh, building focused, proactive and long-term interdisciplinary partnerships.This team will develop novel sensors to detect and monitor pollutants focussing on studying AMR co-selectors to improve the understanding of how these pollutants mediated and impact AMR with five integrated work-packages that willWP1: Identify novel polymers for pollutant pre-concentration (potentially removal at source) and integration into sensors.WP2: Develop novel sensors to detect and monitor heavy metals, antimicrobials and AMR genes.WP3: Create low-cost paper-based sensors for pollutants.WP4: Create easy-to-use, robust, low-cost integrated detection systems.WP5: Undertake case studies to identify the main AMR genes and levels of pollutant at test sites in India and the UK, and validate the performance of detection methods.As part of our impact and engagement activities we will provide end-users with information and solutions that will help tackle the significant AMR problem that is linked to India's water quality issues. By leveraging the breadth of our international leading science and engineering excellence across the entire team the team will implement and deploy affordable and practical technologies with the capabilities required by researchers in the field helping to promote sustainable economic growth and welfare within India.