5 Technologies That Could Combat Antimicrobial Resistance.

Influenza, measles, pneumoniaIt was easy to treat other microbial infections with antibiotics, antifungal and antivirals pharmaceutical. Conditions have become more resistant to drugs, however, increasing the chances of deadly results caused by bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) caused more than One million deaths In 2021, according to the 2024 report published in Lancet. the Global Health Organization It was announced in 2023 Omar has become a major global health threat.

Amr can be blamed for a number of things, including excessive use Antibiotics In people, AnimalsAnd plants; insufficient Sewage; And the lack of new drugs. Other factors include ineffective prevention measures and the scarcity of new tools to detect infections.

To discuss how auxiliary technology can prevent the spread of AMR, Engineering Research Alliance A two -day event last year, and attracted more than 50 researchers, industry leaders and policy makers. Erva, funded by the United States National Science CorporationIt defines the fields that deal with national and global needs that any parties fund to finance the research – plans, government agencies, and institutions – are taken into account. The alliance has more than 20 The followers of the followers Incurred IEEE.

Erva says it doesn’t necessarily find a solution tomorrow, “says Erva. Anita chocolateWhich headed the February 2024 event. “It is about creating long -term research trends that may help reduce, mitigate problems or eliminate them in the long term. We can search or ideas for research.”

Chocolate, Professor of Engineering at Brown UniversityIn Provence, RI, looking for vital materials for applications in Drug deliveryIncluding the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections.

The alliance was recently released.Engineering opportunities to combat antimicrobial resistance“The report selected five major challenges for researchers: Diagnostic biological sensors and wearable devicesEngineering antimicrobial surfaces, smart biological materials, cell engineering, and advanced modeling approach.

Biomotic sensors To accelerate the detection

Diagnostic tools faster, more accurate and less expensive and Wearable devices The report says that there is a need to better detect infections. It indicates the development of diagnostic biological sensors, which can discover specific components of pathogens inside a sample. The vital sensors can collect the sample from the patient in a lower or non -expanded manner, according to the report.

The traditional way to see if someone has infection It is the collection of samples from their cells, tissues, blood, mucus, or other physical fluids and sending them to a laboratory for analysis. Depending on the type of infection and testing, it may take a few days to get the results.

The coalition suggested developing diagnostic sensors that can be discovered Bacteriaand VirusesFungi and parasitic causes inside the sample on the site. The report says: The results should be presented quickly – in a few hours or less. health care Costs.

But first, research is needed to develop vital sensors that can detect low levels of biomedically associated with patient samples, says the report. The vital indicator is a measurable indicator, such as the gene, which can provide information about a person’s health. It may currently take several days to weeks until the person’s immune system is discovered Check.

“I think IEEE members have a set of appropriate skills and can make a big difference if they are, along with other engineers, working together to solve this very complex problem.” – Aita Shukla, Professor of Engineering at Brown UniversityIn Provence, Ri

Authors invite engineers, doctors and microscopic biologists to cooperate in the creation of devices and their design for use in clinical settings.

The report says that developments can be combined in existence Smart devicesOr that new which is a special infection can be designed.

He says, there is another field that must be explored Services that can be worn To allow patients to accurately diagnose themselves.

“Engineers, especially electric engineers who have a lot of knowledge on a different Vital “Design and wearable techniques are the individuals who need innovation in this field and produce these technologies,” says Chocolate.

Clean surfaces to stop the spread of germs

Infection that spreads from surfaces contaminated with bacteria, including hospital beds, medical equipment, doors and offices, is published. Regardless of the extent to which the strict hospital protocols are associated with sterilization, sanitation and disinfection, bacteria are attached to most things. The ERVA report indicates that more than 90 percent of the curtains used by Hospitals Privacy among patients in shared rooms is contaminated after one week.

Authors say it is necessary to develop antimicrobial surfaces that can kill bacterial and fungal pathogens when connected. It is also needed for substances that issue antimicrobial agents when touching them, including minerals, PolymersAnd Vehicles.

Chocolate says that the surfaces of the new engineering antimicrobials should be durable enough to withstand sanitation methods and sterilization used in hospitals and other clinical environments.

It adds, it includes schools and office buildings.

More smart materials to provide medicines

The report does not evolve directly enough to control the amount of medicines they release, according to the report, bandages and other methods of delivering drugs based on biomalic substances used today to deliver antibiotics directly to the potential infection site enough to control the amount of medications that are released, according to the report.

This can excessive use of the drug and can exacerbate AMR, says the report.

The authors say that the most intelligent biological delivery systems that produce antimicrobials are an urgent field of research. Nanotechnology, dowry and polymer gels that can only release medicines when there is a bacterial infection. There are few examples of the report.

“These materials can be released Treatments Upon request, chocolate says. “You are exposed to infection for treatment only when needed so that you do not provide more medicine [than required]- Which is likely to accelerate the development of resistance. ”

The report says that the substances should also contain components that feel the presence of bacteria or fungi and indicate whether the patient’s immune system fights activity in the infection. The presence of the bacterium would lead to antibiotic coated or antifungal antibiotics to be launched at the site of the infection.

There is an opportunity for electrical engineers to develop components that will be combined into smart materials Electric fields Chocolate says that the release of drugs or the help of detecting infection.

Drug -free cellular engineering

Chocolate says there is another field that electric engineers can play a big role, and it includes immune cells. A possible alternative to antibiotics, the designed white blood cells can enhance the body’s natural response engineering to fight infections, according to the report. Such a surrounding approach requires progress in cellular engineering, as well as a better understanding of genetically treated cells.

For persons with persistent infections, it is important to study long -term reactions between engineering immune cells and bacteria, the report says. Research in engineering creation Microbes With an antimicrobial activity, it can help reduce the use of antibiotics and may prevent infection.

Using advanced modeling to develop new drugs

The coalition says a major research is needed to develop mathematical modeling. This technology can be used to develop complex bacterial infection models to quickly assess the effectiveness of medicines and anti -microbial treatments.

“Modeling has an opportunity to accelerate the development of new drugs and may predict the results of new treatments, all in a less expensive and less vulnerable way to change that often occurs with laboratory -based tests,” says Chocolate.

Amnesty InternationalShe adds that the tools that are already used to predict or develop potential treatments Algorithms The methods are still needed.

“I think IEEE members have a set of appropriate skills and can make a big difference if they are, along with other engineers, working together to solve this very complex problem in AMR,” says Chocolate. “People working in silos are a problem. If we can make people work together to really address this problem, this is the way that will be solved.”

You can see Shukla discuss the results of the vision event in This symposium is onlineIt was produced on March 27.