More Research Grants for Antibiotic Resistance Research

Erik Kristiansson, professor of Applied Mathematics at Chalmers University of Technology is one of the researchers who has received a grant from the Swedish Research Council.  Kristiansson's research focuses on new genes for antibiotic resistance (ARGs). The current project will use advanced techniques such as deep learning and machine learning to identify and analyze new ARGs in bacteria. The goal is to understand how these genes are transferred and spread, and to identify environments that facilitate this process. This research will provide important insights into the development of bacterial resistance and its impact on human health. The grant amounts to SEK 4 million over four years.

Åsa Sjöling, a professor of Microbiology at the University of Gothenburg, has also received SEK 4 million from VR. Her project aims to analyze the function of recently identified potential virulence genes in diarrheagenic enterotoxigenic E. coli. In pathogenic E. coli, a gradual increase in antibiotic resistance has been observed over the past decades. Although the project does not specifically focus on antibiotic resistance, the results may provide a greater understanding of the co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes on plasmids.

VR funds in the form of an establishment grant have also been awarded to Johannes Thoma.

The Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) has granted funds to four CARe members of a total of 17 projects across the EU. These are Erik Kristiansson, Anna Johnning, Johan Bengtsson-Palme, and Anne Farewell.