On the occasion of last week’s Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, CAMRIA researchers Nina Landeland and Magne Olav Sydnes published a news piece on forskersonen.no. The blog post, titled “Kjemikere jobber iherdig med å ta knekken på antibiotikaresistensen” (The Chemists are Working Hard to Defeat Antibiotic Resistance), offers valuable insights into antimicrobial resistance from the perspective of chemistry.
The researchers discuss how agricultural use of antibiotics significantly contributes to resistance, particularly in regions with high animal densities, insufficient hygiene, and loose regulatory controls. While Europe enforces strict regulations, the situation in other parts of the world, such as India and China, is less stringent, exacerbating the problem.
The blog highlights innovative strategies to combat resistance. At the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bergen, in collaboration with CAMRIA, researchers are working on light-sensitive groups in antibiotics. These groups deactivate the antibiotics when exposed to light, reducing their environmental impact. This approach minimizes the time bacteria are exposed to active substances, which might result in lowering the risk of resistance development and ensuring antibiotics remain effective for treating patients.
Read the full blog post here (in Norwegian).