Advancing and Standardising Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Resistance Detection Methodology

Dear Colleagues, 

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time. The accurate and reliable detection of antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance is critical for guiding effective treatment strategies and curbing the spread of resistant pathogens. However, discrepancies in diagnostic methods, lack of standardisation, and limited access to advanced technologies in resource-limited settings hinder our ability to monitor and respond to AMR effectively.

This Special Issue aims to explore the latest advancements in antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance detection methodologies, focusing on the need for improved standardisation and consistency across clinical, environmental, and veterinary settings. Contributions are welcome to highlight innovative technologies, diagnostic platforms, and laboratory techniques that can enhance the accuracy, speed, and accessibility of AMR detection. Additionally, this Special Issue aims to address the challenges of validating these methodologies across diverse pathogen species, resistance mechanisms, and geographical regions.

We invite contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Novel technologies for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), such as next-generation sequencing, microfluidics, and biosensors.
• Standardisation of AST protocols across clinical, veterinary, and environmental microbiology laboratories.
• Comparative studies of traditional and emerging methods for AMR detection.
• Point-of-care diagnostic tools for rapid and accurate AMR detection.
• Quality assurance and control in AMR diagnostics.
• The role of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in improving resistance surveillance and prediction.
• Global challenges in implementing standardised AMR detection in low-resource settings.

Through this Special Issue, we hope to promote the development of more robust and widely accessible detection methods, facilitating global efforts to fight AMR and improve patient outcomes. By standardising diagnostic approaches and embracing technological innovation, we can move closer to providing an effective response to one of the most urgent health threats of the 21st century.

Prof. Dr. Owen B. Spiller
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• antimicrobial susceptibility testing
• resistance screening
• rapid diagnostics
• clinical
• veterinary
• environmental
• validation