R & D Programmes
Strategies for combating difficult and antimicrobial resistant pathogens
This thematic area seeks to link the development of better understandings of host-pathogen interactions to the discovery of novel anti-microbial agents in the laboratory and their translation to clinical and other uses.
Although much has been learned in the last century on the role of microbes in infectious diseases, they are still a major threat to public health, predominantly due to fungal and bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics. This has contributed in recent years to the significant increases in life threatening hospital acquired infections (HAIs).
Key projects being undertaken by the Centre of Applied Science for Health in this sphere include:-
- Investigation of the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions (bacterial and fungal) with a view to prevention of colonisation.
- Elucidation of host immune response to pathogens and the design of immunomodulation therapies.
- Development of novel antimicrobial agents and novel therapeutic strategies for infectious and gastrointestinal diseases in both laboratory and clinical settings.
- Scale-up, pre-formulation and formulation of Biopharma and Pharma-based antimicrobials.
- Employment of surface science expertise for the design and development of surface coatings to inhibit the growth of microorganisms thereby reducing the possibility of transmittance by personal and other contacts.
These projects are addressed by multidisciplinary teams across the partner institutions. Critical areas of common interest are studies on acquired resistance e.g. Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and those with inherent resistance to antimicrobial agents e.g. cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogens such as Burkholderia cepacia complex.
