Antibiotics & Superbugs: New Strategies to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Dear Colleagues,

The rise of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is well documented both in the scientific literature and in the popular press. The World Health Organisation recently described antimicrobial resistance as “a problem so serious that it threatens the achievements of modern medicine.” [1] Writing in Nature, professors Mark Woolhouse (Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh) and Jeremy Farrar (Director of the Wellcome Trust) argue that in some ways, a post-antibiotic world has already arrived [2]. While Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies has called antimicrobial resistance “a threat arguably as important as climate change for the world.” [3]

The stakes are high, the pressure is mounting. This Special Issue of Molecules brings together a selection of current efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance: work that will develop new strategies and build new molecules to lead us through this crisis point and into a new ’golden age’ of antibiotics.  In the words of Dame Sally Davies, “We need to work with everyone to ensure the apocalyptic scenario of widespread antimicrobial resistance does not become a reality.” [3]

Research papers covering all areas of antibiotics chemistry are invited, from antibacterial discovery and development to the synthesis and biosynthesis of antibiotics; characterisation of resistance mechanisms and the development of strategies to combat resistance; mechanism of action studies; strategies that target quorum sensing, virulence factors or antibacterial vaccines. Review articles outlining recent developments in the field are also welcome.

1. World Health Organisation, Antimicrobial resistance: Global report on surveillance 2014 (WHO 2014).
2. Woolhouse, M.; Farrar, J.; Nature 509 555–557 doi: 10.1038/509555a
3. Department of Health (UK), Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2011: Volume Two (Department of Health 2013).

Prof. Dr. Peter J. Rutledge
Collection Editor

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