University of Virginia researchers are working to outrace two dangerous germs known for quickly developing resistance to new antibiotics – and the scientists' efforts could help us better combat antibiotic resistance more broadly.
A team led by Jason Papin, PhD, is developing sophisticated computer models of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two multi-drug resistant bacteria that infect thousands of Americans every year. The researchers will use their models to better understand the cellular processes and gene activity that make the bacteria so adept at overcoming antibiotics.
By identifying shared traits in the bacteria, the researchers hope to discover common links – and weaknesses – among germs that are adept at developing antibiotic resistance, a growing problem in the United States and around the world. Antibiotic resistance crisis The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled antimicrobial resistance an "urgent global health threat." It's estimated that antibiotic-resistant germs killed at least 1.27 million people worldwide and contributed to nearly 5 million deaths in 2019. The United States alone sees more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections each year.
Related StoriesPseudomonas aeruginosa, meanwhile, is found in soil and water. But P. aeruginosa is a particular problem in healthcare settings, as it can cause pneumonia and other serious infections. The bacterium is estimated to have caused more than 32,000 infections and 2,700 deaths among hospitalized patients in 2017, the CDC reports. It too is particularly dangerous to the elderly and immune compromised.
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