Seminar Antimicrobiële resistentie- laboratory - FHI, federatie van technologiebranches

Tuesday September 24 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Location: Croese room

The use of antibiotics is a matter of course worldwide. But it is becoming increasingly common for bacteria to become resistant to these agents. They are then no longer susceptible to the effects of antibiotics. This makes effective treatment of infections more difficult, resulting in illness, death and higher healthcare costs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest global threats and five million people die directly or indirectly every year from the consequences of AMR. This number is expected to rise to ten million deaths per year by 2050. During the Antimicrobial Resistance seminar, three experts provide insight into the background and innovations in diagnostics.

Professor John Rossen (UMCG Groningen & Isala Zwolle) is a special professor of personalized molecular microbiology and specializes in infection diagnostics. Technologies such as metagenomics and metatranscriptomics are promising innovations in diagnostics. Rossen explains how these technologies contribute to rapid diagnosis and effective treatment.

Bacteriophages offer a promising and innovative approach to tackling antibiotic resistance. Before bacteriophages can be applied on a large scale, more studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of phages in treating infections. Pieter-Jan Haas, medical microbiologist at the UMC-Utrecht, discusses the latest insights and studies in the field of bacteriophages and their therapeutic application.

Maarten van Dongen is the founder of AMR Insights AMR Insights is an organization that combats antimicrobial resistance by informing, training and connecting professionals worldwide. Van Dongen discusses the urgency of this problem and explains how we can combat resistance by working together.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a hidden pandemic

Antibiotics save lives, but it is increasingly common for bacteria to become resistant to these agents. Maarten van Dongen is a molecular and medical microbiologist and founder of AMR Insights, an organization that increases awareness of antimicrobial resistance. He discusses the urgency of this problem and explains how we can combat resistance. “A total of five million people die every year, directly or indirectly, from the consequences of AMR. This number is expected to rise to ten million deaths per year by 2050.”

Infection diagnosis under the microscope with metagenomics

Genomics technologies have gained momentum in recent years. Research into the DNA in organisms provides a wealth of information and has a major impact on diagnostics. Professor John Rossen is special professor of personalized molecular microbiology at Isala Zwolle and the UMCG. Using an example, he explains how these technologies can be used in infection diagnostics.