Tag: Newcastle University

News

Genetic cause of rare childhood immune disorders discovered

Jun 21, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #Dr Gosia Trynka, #Genetic cause of rare childhood immune disorders, #Newcastle University, #North Children’s Hospital, #NUDCD3 gene, #Professor Sophie Hambleton, #Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

Newcastle University’s researchers identified mutations in the NUDCD3 gene that are associated with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency and Omenn syndrome, which are rare and life-threatening immunodeficiency disorders. These mutations hinder the proper development of diverse immune cells necessary to fight off various pathogens.

The findings, published in Science Immunology, involve experts from Newcastle University, the Great North Children’s Hospital, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and their collaborators. This discovery paves the way for early diagnosis and intervention for these conditions.

Professor Sophie Hambleton, senior author of the study at Newcastle University and practicing pediatric immunologist at the Great North Children’s Hospital, said, “Our research is aimed at filling in the gaps so that families can achieve a molecular diagnosis while we continue learning more about how the immune system works in health and disease.”

Rare genetic disorders

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and Omenn syndrome are rare genetic conditions that render children without a functional immune system, making them susceptible to life-threatening infections. Without prompt treatment, such as stem cell transplants to replace the defective immune system, many affected children will not survive their first year.

Although newborn screening methods can detect T cell deficiency, identifying the specific genetic cause enhances confidence in diagnosing SCID and helps guide the selection of curative therapies. Currently, this remains unattainable for at least one in ten affected families.

In this new study, researchers examined 11 children from four families; two had SCID and nine had Omenn syndrome. All had inherited mutations that impaired the function of the NUDCD3 protein, which had not previously been associated with the immune system.

Professor Sophie Hambleton added, “SCID and Omenn syndrome are devastating disorders, requiring complex and timely treatments. The more we can understand about its underlying causes, the better we can look after affected babies. We are deeply grateful to the families whose invaluable participation in this study will help future generations.”

Early diagnosis is important

Through detailed studies of patient-derived cells and mouse models, the team showed that NUDCD3 mutations disrupt a vital gene-rearranging process called V(D)J recombination. This process is essential for creating the diverse T cell receptors and antibodies required to identify and combat various pathogens.

While mice engineered with the same NUDCD3 mutations experienced milder immune issues, the human patients faced severe, life-threatening consequences. However, two patients survived after receiving stem cell transplants, highlighting the critical importance of early diagnosis and intervention.

Dr Gosia Trynka, author of the study at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and science director at Open Targets, said: “For babies born with high-risk immunodeficiencies, early detection can mean the difference between life and death. These diseases leave newborns essentially defenceless against pathogens that most of us can easily fend off. The identification of this new disease gene will help clinicians to make a prompt molecular diagnosis in affected patients, meaning they can receive life-saving treatments more quickly.”

News

From dawn of time to dusk – our evolutionary ability to perceive time in art

Feb 1, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #Anya Hurlbert, #art, #Delft University of Technology, #Netherlands, #Newcastle University, #Visual Neuroscience

A study by Newcastle University and Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, published in the Journal of Vision, has found that people use a combination of colour and brightness in a painting to predict the time of day in the image. For a large range of paintings over three centuries, they were able to establish the timing regardless of the exact content or style of painting and this was purely based on the selection of shades used.

Visual perception

In an online behavioural experiment, 51 people rated 104 mostly little-known landscape paintings as depicting either morning, noon, afternoon, evening, or night. Although the paintings were taken from a range of artists and from across the 17th to 20th century, the time of day ratings people gave them were surprisingly consistent. In general, paintings with lighter, paler blues and darker yellows were viewed as morning, and those with darker blues and brighter yellows seen as evening.

Anya Hurlbert, Professor of Visual Neuroscience at Newcastle University, who led the study, said: “Our findings show painters tap into fundamental processes of visual perception that adults possess. “They appear to be subconsciously understanding how the human brain has learned over evolution to interpret changes in daylight and this adds to our understanding of visual perception. “This research is one of the first to show that painters deploy simple colour and brightness cues to convey something as abstract as time of day.”

From nature to art

The colour and brightness of natural daylight change regularly over the course of the day and offer subtle colour clues that this research showed most people interpreted in the same way. Experts have shown that daylight is a mixture of direct sunlight and diffuse skylight, meaning the nuances in hue are constrained to follow a curve from blue to orange/yellow.

At dawn, the light changes colour rapidly from a dark blue to a brighter yellow or neutral hue; at dusk, it changes in the opposite direction, becoming bluer as it darkens. In morning and evening, when the sun is close to the horizon, daylight is dimmer than at midday. People were able to pick up on these subtle clues.

Professor Hurlbert said: “The experiment was performed online. A separate experiment in the lab, with a calibrated image display and a smaller number of participants, confirmed the results of the online one. “Therefore, paintings make a rich source of information for scientists to understand how visual perception works.”

Education

Newcastle offers Climate Change scholarships for women in South Asia

Feb 18, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #British Council, #Newcastle University, #Regional Director Education South Asia, #Salvador Lopez

Newcastle University and the British Council have announced seven fully funded scholarships for female students from South Asia interested in pursuing master’s studies in the field of Climate Change.

The scholarships are on offer for students from: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Each of these scholarships cover full tuition fees, monthly stipends, a return economy class ticket and other study-related costs such as IELTS exam fee, visa application, NHS surcharge and study materials.

The scholarships are available from September 2021 for one year, and are part of the British Council’s programme to support women and girls in STEM around the world.

Professor Richard Davies, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global, Newcastle University, UK, said: “We are excited to offer the first round of the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM. Welcoming bright and talented students, who are passionate about understanding and tackling climate change, will go a long way towards supporting our commitment to environmental and social justice. “Education and research transcend international boundaries, and our international students bring a passion for education, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.”

Professor Judith Rankin, Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Newcastle University, UK, added: “This is an excellent achievement for Newcastle and reflects our work to make sure that Newcastle is seen as providing a welcoming and inclusive environment where all students can thrive.”

Salvador Lopez, Regional Director Education South Asia, British Council said: “We are thrilled to support talented women from across this region to engage in a top UK degree in STEM fields, our commitment to girls education and addressing gender imbalances in the science, technology and innovation world is increasing, and we aim to transform lives of communities through women empowerment and strengthening links between people of the UK and South Asia.”

The following programmes are eligible for these scholarships:

MSc Environmental Engineering
MSc Environmental Consultancy
MSc Hydrology and Water Management
MRes Environmental Geoscience
MSc Renewable Energy, Enterprise and Management

Applications must be submitted using the application form by 26 March 2021.

News

International team of 60 expert researchers analysing new UN biodiversity goals conclude: Tackling alarming decline in nature needs a ‘safety net’ of multiple, ambitious goals

Oct 29, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Andy Purvis, #Neil Burgess, #Newcastle University, #Sandra Díaz, #UN biodiversity goals, #UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre

A ‘safety net’ made up of multiple, interlinked and ambitious goals is needed to tackle nature’s alarming decline, according to a new paper in the journal Science. No single goal can capture everything that needs to be sustained, concludes a large international team of researchers analysing the new goals for nature being drafted by the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity.

The team includes scientists from the Natural History Museum in London, the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre and Newcastle University.

The scientific advice comes at a critical time: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recently announced that none of its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets for 2020 has been reached. Policymakers, scientists and country negotiators are now preparing for the next generation of biodiversity goals for 2030 and 2050, to be enshrined by their 15th Convention of the Parties in 2021.

The new research, led by Earth Commission experts, outlines the scientific basis for redesigning this new set of biodiversity goals.To reach the road to recovery, ecosystems, species, genetic diversity and nature’s contributions to people all need distinct goals, and these goals need to be woven together into a safety net and set at a high level of ambition.

Natural History Museum Research Leader Prof Andy Purvis was one of the lead authors. He says:

“The wellbeing of future generations depends on saving nature now, but that will be impossible if the targets are too narrow or set too low. A single focus on any one part of biodiversity basically guarantees that things will continue to get worse, but a safety net could secure the future of habitats, species, genetic diversity and the benefits we get from all these. It would even help in the fight against climate change.”

The text of the CBD’s document on new goals for biodiversity is in flux; countries, organisations and interest groups have put forward proposals for particular facets of nature, such as species, natural ecosystems or genetic diversity.

The researchers of this study, a group of more than 60 leading biodiversity experts from 26 countries, assessed these draft goals to determine the scientific evidence supporting them, how these goals reinforce or undermine each other, and whether one aspect of nature could serve as a shortcut for others.

The result is an independent, scientifically grounded, unprecedentedly comprehensive assessment.

Lead author, Senior Researcher, National Research Council (CONICET) and Professor at the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, Professor Sandra Díaz say: “We hope this is a useful tool in the CBD negotiations on a new strategy for nature and people. Building a sufficiently ambitious safety net for nature will be a major global challenge but unless we do it, we are leaving huge problems for every future generation.”

According to scientists, three points are critical for nations to take into account when setting the new biodiversity goals:

Firstly, a single goal for nature, based on a single facet, for example, focused only on species extinctions, or ecosystem area, similar to the ”below 2°C” target for climate, is risky. Multiple, distinct goals are needed for ecosystems, species, genes and nature’s contributions to people to make sure none of them falls through the gaps.

Although having one target based solely on ecosystems, species or nature’s contributions to people as a shortcut for the whole of nature might be tempting, the balance of published evidence is against it. Buttressing the shared vision of the CBD (‘living in harmony with nature”) by multiple goals, each corresponding to a major facet of nature is much safer.

Secondly, as the facets of nature are interlinked and affect each other for better or worse, the goals must be defined and delivered holistically, not in isolation.

Thirdly, only the highest level of ambition for setting each goal, and implementing all goals in an integrated manner, will give a realistic chance of “bending” the curve of nature’s decline by 2050. It will not be enough to have, for example, an ambitious goal for reducing species extinctions if goals for ecosystems and genetic diversity are not also ambitious.

The paper concludes that unless the different facets are contemplated together, and unless the ambitions are set very high for each of them, there is very little chance to transition to a better and fairer future for all life on Earth by 2050. Of course, the objectives must be achievable, as well as highly ambitious.

The paper provides a scientific basis for distinguishing between low and high ambitions. Ambitious goals should include, for example, the strict “no net loss” and targeted restorations of ecosystems, both in natural and managed lands, minimal loss of species, 90 per cent of genetic diversity conserved and a broad range of nature’s contributions to people secured. Less ambitious goals will be insufficient to conserve and sustain the multiple, interrelated facets of nature and its contributions to people.

The authors have explicitly focused on the biological aspects. They have not evaluated economic or political consequences of the goals but highlight that not considering social and political issues when implementing actions would be a recipe for failure.

To help crystallise these general recommendations, the authors have produced a checklist of key science-based points that negotiators could have handy during the upcoming negotiations of the final text of the new biodiversity goals.

Professor Philip McGowan of Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences is a co-author of the study. He is also Chair of an International Union for the Conservation of Nature Task Force on global species needs and these new goals.

He said: “Although the ambitious global biodiversity targets that have been pursued over the last decade have not been met, we do have good foundations to build upon. For example, for species, we know extinction rates would have been 2-4 times higher without the conservation action that has taken place.

What we need now, is to aim high for holistic and joined-up action, looking beyond emergency action so that we can ensure that the world’s ecosystems have all of their species at natural levels of abundance so that they can fulfil all of their roles in safeguarding life on our planet.”

Neil Burgess, Chief Scientist at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and co-author of the study, says: “The new global biodiversity goals expected to be set next year will be crucial for tackling the nature crisis.

This research is clear that if we are to succeed in halting and reversing biodiversity loss, goals must be ambitious, holistic, and mutually reinforcing. If we aim high and make the transformative changes necessary across all sectors of society, we can achieve a better future for people and planet.”

The Earth Commission is a scientific commission including a global team of leading scientists and five working groups convened by Future Earth, the world’s largest network of sustainability scientists. the earth Commission is the scientific foundation’s stone of theGlobal Commons Alliance, and its mission is to define a safe and just corridor for people and the planet and to inform the setting of science-based targets to help maintain Earth’s life support systems: climate, land, biodiversity, freshwater and oceans.

Education

App by Newcastle University graduate raises £300k for roll-out

Oct 3, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Jan Oosthuizen, #Johnson Fernandes, #Newcastle University, #Phil Williams, #Richard Butts

A tech startup which has created a smarter and cleaner way of using energy by enabling UK households to collectively decrease their consumption at peak times has secured over £300,000 in investment to support its growth.

Launched by Newcastle University, U.K graduate Dr. Johnson Fernandes, Equiwatt rewards customers for cutting their energy use at peak times, and through the creation of its app, enables users to turn off appliances simultaneously as a community, leading to significant reductions in collective demand and creating energy efficiency on a mass scale.

The business, based in Gateshead, estimates that for every 1,000 households using the Equiwatt app, 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide are offset every year. Its ambition is to work with up to 100,000 users in the near future.

To help progress its scale-up plans, the venture has secured over £300,000 through a funding round involving the North East Venture Fund – supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia – and North East angel investor Owen McFarlane.

Williams Ali Corporate Finance supported Equiwatt in securing the investment, which will allow the company to run trials in the Gateshead area and create four new jobs.

Equiwatt was founded by Johnson Fernandes, whose experience of growing up in India and living through regular power cuts caused by the collective mass usage of energy, inspired his commitment to finding a cleaner and more sustainable energy solution.

Having established the business in 2017, Equiwatt has developed its market-leading technology from its base in PROTO, Gateshead, and is now attracting the attention of an increasing number of major energy companies. The business has been supported in its development to date by organisations including the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator, Newcastle University and Energy Systems Catapult.

“I have a big passion for renewable and clean energy, and having grown up experiencing regular blackouts through the collective peak time usage of energy, I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to create a cleaner way of using energy for everyone, which is also more affordable, and build a community to be able to achieve that,” said Johnson.

“Through using the Equiwatt app, which builds further on the many smart devices so many people are using to help them be more energy-efficient, our users can achieve big savings through switching off devices collectively at peak times, and also secure rewards and incentives for doing so.

“The key is in the community, and together we can make a huge difference. It comes down to us all making small changes to make a big impact collectively. Building this community further is the next step for the business and our ability to scale up, and this investment will support us in being able to achieve that. Our technology is proven and the more we can grow our community, the more we can collectively be cleaner and more efficient in our energy usage.”

Phil Williams, the partner in Williams Ali Corporate Finance, has significant experience in the energy sector and has worked closely with Equiwatt to secure its investment.

“Equiwatt undoubtedly has the potential to make a huge contribution to the UK domestic energy market by providing the means to reduce peak-time energy usage, and Johnson and his team have the commitment and genuine passion to make that happen,” said Phil.

“We have enjoyed working very closely with Johnson for a long period of time to help shape the future financial strategy of Equiwatt and are delighted to have supported them in securing this investment.”

Jan Oosthuizen, Investment Manager with Mercia, added: “Industrial users already receive rewards to reduce their power use at peak times and Equiwatt’s app will for the first time allow households and SMEs to do the same. The funding will enable the business to roll it out to 1,000 homes to prove its effectiveness and unlock deals with energy companies.”

Richard Butts at Ward Hadaway acted for Equiwatt in securing the investment, Oliver Rickett at Womble Bond Dickinson advised Mercia, and Philip Clare at Muckle acted for Owen McFarlane.

Health

Understanding the link between hearing loss and dementia

Sep 4, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #hearing loss and dementia, #Newcastle University, #Tim Griffiths

New Delhi, September 4, 2020: Hearing loss has been shown to be linked to dementia in epidemiological studies and may be responsible for a tenth of the 47 million cases worldwide.

Now, published in the journal Neuron, a team at Newcastle University provide a new theory to explain how a disorder of the ear can lead to Alzheimer’s disease – a concept never looked at before.

It is hoped that this new understanding may be a significant step towards advancing research into Alzheimer’s disease and how to prevent the illness for future generations.

Key considerations

Newcastle experts considered three key aspects; a common underlying cause for hearing loss and dementia; lack of sound-related input leading to brain shrinking; and cognitive impairment resulting in people having to engage more brain resources to compensate for hearing loss, which then becomes unavailable for other tasks.

The team propose a new angle which focuses on the memory centres deep in the temporal lobe. Their recent work indicates that this part of the brain, typically associated with long-term memory for places and events, is also involved in short-term storage and manipulation of auditory information.

They consider explanations for how changes in brain activity due to hearing loss might directly promote the presence of abnormal proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease, therefore triggering the disease.

Professor Tim Griffiths, from Newcastle University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences, said: “The challenge has been to explain how a disorder of the ear can lead to a degenerative problem in the brain.

“We suggest a new theory based on how we use what is generally considered to be the memory system in the brain when we have difficulty listening in real-world environments.”

Collaborative research

Work on mechanisms for difficult listening is a central theme for the research group, including members in Newcastle, UCL and Iowa University, that has been supported by a Medical Research Council programme grant.

Dr Will Sedley, from Newcastle University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences, said: “This memory system engaged in difficult listening is the most common site for the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

“We propose that altered activity in the memory system caused by hearing loss and the Alzheimer’s disease process trigger each other.

“Researchers now need to examine this mechanism in models of the pathological process to test if this new theory is right.”

The experts developed the theory of this important link with hearing loss by bringing together findings from a variety of human studies and animal models. Future work will continue to look at this area.

REFERENCE: How can hearing loss cause dementia? TD Griffiths, M Lad, S Kumar, E Holmes, B McMurray, EA Maguire, AJ Billig, W Sedley. Neuron (2020)

Education

Newcastle University excels in a leading guide of global universities

Sep 3, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #global universities, #Newcastle University, #Professor Chris Day, #UK, #Vice-Chancellor and President

New Delhi, September 03, 2020: The Times Higher Education World University Rankings place Newcastle joint 178th in the world, a rise of more than 20 places from its position in 2019. Areas where Newcastle University scored highly include: International Outlook, which measures the proportion of international staff, proportion of international students and the scale of international co-authorship (ranked 114th globally) and for Citations (ranked 126th).

Professor Chris Day, Vice-Chancellor and President, Newcastle University, UK, said: “There are many ways of assessing our value as a University, and World Rankings are only one measure that can be used to assess the quality, impact and reputation.

“Nevertheless, our strong position in this influential guide is one of the signals of the quality of our research, teaching and employer reputation. I would like to thank academic and professional service colleagues for their hard work and for helping our students to develop the skills needed by employers, especially against the backdrop of this challenging period.”

The latest rankings results are consistent with the University’s strong performance in other international league tables, including the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which ranked Newcastle 11th in the world for its impact on society and leadership in sustainable development.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings evaluate five strategic Higher Education areas: teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook. The latest rankings guide encompasses 1,527 universities in the world

News

Professor Sir Doug Turnbull: Leading scientist receives prestigious award

Aug 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Buchanan Medal by the Royal Society, #Newcastle University, #Professor Sir Doug Turnbull

10th August 2020, New Delhi, India: Professor Sir Doug Turnbull has been awarded the Buchanan Medal by the Royal Society, the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, dedicated to promoting excellence in science.

He has devoted his career to the treatment and research of mitochondrial disease and led a team at Newcastle University which changed the law to allow an IVF technique known as mitochondrial donation.

Great honour

Sir Doug said: “It is a great honour to receive the Buchanan Medal from the Royal Society, which is awarded for distinguished contributions to biomedical science.

“I received this award particularly in relation to mitochondrial disease, and I have been very fortunate to work with great scientists and clinicians.

“From a personal perspective, it is very important that our research has made a difference in the lives of patients with mitochondrial disease.”

In 2010, Sir Doug’s work was recognised when he and his colleagues were awarded coveted Wellcome Centre Status, one of only a handful in the UK.

As director of the Wellcome Centre, he built an internationally-renowned team of clinicians and researchers, with patients opting to travel from all over the country to be under his care.

Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialised compartments present in cells of the body. When the compartments fail, less energy is generated within the cell. The parts of the body greatest affected are the heart, brain, muscles and eyes.

Certain forms of mitochondrial disease are passed down from mother to child. The mitochondrial donation, developed in the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, offers women with the condition the chance of having healthy children.

Sir Doug developed the NHS National Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Diseases of Children and Adults and is an honorary consultant neurologist at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Royal College of Physicians has recognised him and awarded him the Goulstonian Lecturer (1992), the Jean Hunter Prize (2003) and the Sims Royal College of Physicians Lecturer (2004).

Royal Society awards

The annual medals and awards celebrate exceptional researchers and outstanding contributions to science across a wide array of fields.

President of the Royal Society, Venki Ramakrishnan, said: “The Royal Society’s medals and awards celebrate those researchers whose groundbreaking work has helped answer fundamental questions and advance our understanding of the world around us.

“They also champion those who have reinforced science’s place in society, whether through inspiring public engagement, improving our education system, or by making STEM careers more inclusive and rewarding.

“This year has highlighted how integral science is in our daily lives, and tackling the challenges we face, and it gives me great pleasure to congratulate all our winners and thank them for their work.”

News

India-UK team tackles antimicrobial resistance spread in waterways

Aug 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #AMRflows, #IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Madras., #Newcastle University, #UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and India’s Department of Biotechnology

An estimated 58,000 babies die in India every year from superbug infections passed on from their mothers, whilst drug-resistant pathogens cause between 28,000 to 38,000 extra deaths in the European Union every year.

A research project called AMRflows, which involves experts from Newcastle University, has received £1.2 million of UK and Indian funding to explore the role played by India’s rivers in increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Supported by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and India’s Department of Biotechnology, the cross-disciplinary team also includes researchers from Newcastle University, the James Hutton Institute in Scotland, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Madras. Experts will sample and model two contrasting river networks in India – the Musi river in Hyderabad, which has high concentrations of antibiotics released from production facilities, and the less polluted Adyar river in Chennai.

The project – which is supported by UK Research and Innovation’s Fund for International Collaboration – aims to learn how far resistant bacteria travel before they die or are eaten by other organisms in a unique combination of experiments, field sampling and mathematical modelling of resistance dynamics and water flows.

The team from Newcastle will be led by Professor David Graham, an environmental engineer who has spent almost 20 years studying the environmental transmission of antibiotic resistance around the world.

Work in recent years, often led by Professor Graham and international colleagues, has shown that antibiotic-resistant genes are readily exchanged between microbes and move through many pathways, even to places where antibiotics functionally are not present.

Commenting on this new UK-India project, Professor Graham said: “This project has huge potential because it will study AMR spread in a more quantitative and predictive manner, which is urgently needed for assessing environmental exposure risk.

“Additionally, it combines studies at various scales, ranging from the genetics of resistance gene exchange to metagenomics to micro- and macro-scale numerical modelling, which to our knowledge, has never been done before.”

Professor Graham recently contributed to new recommendations for tackling the spread of antibiotic resistance, published in June by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The new guidance aims to provide a framework for countries to create their own locally-driven national action plans that suit their own particular regional setting. It considers growing evidence, including research by Professor Graham, which suggests that the “superbug problem” will not be solved by prudent antibiotic use alone and that environmental factors may be of equal or greater importance, which this new project aspires to quantify.

UK project lead Dr. Jan Kreft, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “We don’t know how quickly antibiotics are degraded in the environment and how much they are diluted by rainfall and by entering larger rivers.”

“In our AMRflows project, we will learn how antibiotics from manufacturing and the resistant bacteria they select will flow through river networks and how far they can be transported in rivers, from where they can spread onto fields and into communities during floods – allowing us to make a quantitative risk assessment to help create environmental standards for safe concentrations of antibiotics in water bodies.”

Indian project leads Professor Shashidhar Thatikonda, from the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad commented: “We know from previous research that the River Musi is now a factory of superbugs. Modelling water flows will be crucial in predicting the fate of resistant bacteria in the environment and we aim to create models that will be applicable in other rivers and countries.”

The scientific advances will also allow the team to compare the effectiveness of different interventions such as separate treatment of waste streams from the manufacturing of antibiotics, decentralized sewage treatment or containment reservoirs.

“The recommendations we will produce will help bring down the levels of resistance in the environment. This will contribute to reducing the abundance of resistant pathogens that make infections untreatable,” added Professor Shashidhar.

In his ‘Insights’ article published earlier this year by The Conversation UK, Professor Graham – who is also a member of the Transmission in Wider Environment Group (TWEG) providing guidance to UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) in relation to the current COVID-19 pandemic – described how resistance to existing antibiotics continues to increase, particularly impacting places with poor water quality and inadequate sanitation.

In the article, Professor Graham and co-author Peter Collignon, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Australian National University, also talk about the diverse possible pathways or drivers of antibiotic resistance and discuss how it can be tackled.

“Local conditions are key to reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance,” they say in the article. “Governments throughout the world must work together, and actions against resistance should focus on local needs and plans because each country is different.”

“The spread of antibiotic resistance knows no boundaries, so it is everyone’s problem and all countries have a role in solving the problem,” Professor Graham adds.

AMRflows is part of an £8 million package of UK-India Government-backed research aimed deepening existing scientific research collaborations with five new programmes to tackle antimicrobial resistance that could lead to important advances in the global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes.