The Center for Disease Control and Prevention named antibiotic-resistant bacteria one of the biggest public health challenges of the contemporary world, infecting at least 2 million people each year in the U.S. alone.
Miles Roberts, a senior biology major, won the 2019 Research Excellence award, an award meant to recognize significant use of the library resources and excellent undergraduate research. Roberts received the award for his work on the trend of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. His inspiration for the research came from hearing about the public health threat on television and the radio and decided to do some research of his own.
“The current trends are suggesting that we are in trouble and there are already very harmful strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are making a comeback,” Roberts said. “Some scientists say we are already in the midst of a crisis.”
In his research, Roberts said one way to counter the issue was to slow the overuse of antibiotics and use them properly, while scientists attempt to engineer viruses that will actively target the bacteria in conjunction with antibiotic use.
“The question of exactly why bacteria are resistant is an open question and varies depending on what bacteria you are researching and exactly what antibiotic they are resistant to,” Roberts said. He states four different reasons bacteria can be resistant: resistance, tolerance, persistence and resilience.
According to Roberts, resistance is the ability for bacteria to avoid damage by not letting the antibiotics inside. Tolerance can minimize the harmful effect of antibiotics and quickly inactivates the antibiotic before it does too much damage to the bacteria. Persistence involves going dormant until the threat goes away. Resilience refers to a community of bacteria that can bounce back quickly after antibiotic treatment. Roberts’ studies focused on resistance, tolerance and persistence.
“When so many accredited world health organizations like WHO [World Health Organization] and CDC say that this is a big deal and that you should be concerned, then I start to get a little scared,” Roberts said. “I certainly think that based on my research that it is one of the greatest threats in the 21st century to human health.”
Stephanie Porter, an assistant professor in the school of biological sciences, taught the class where Roberts’ paper was written. Roberts has worked in Porter’s lab, which focuses on beneficial interactions between plants and bacteria, for two years.
Porter said antibiotic-resistance needs to be talked about more, because it is a growing problem that needs more public recognition. The utility of antibiotics due to overuse has been a leading cause for resistant pathogens, according to Porter.
“There’s a lot of evidence that when a culture reduces use of antibiotics the prevalence of antibiotic resistant infection goes down dramatically,” Porter said.
Porter stressed the importance of antibiotics, but using antibiotics strategically.
The CDC and WHO recommends improving cleanliness, staying up to date on vaccinations, preparing food carefully and hygienically, recognizing and contacting a doctor with any early signs of infection and use antibiotics only as prescribed and responsibly, if concerned about being sick.