VIJAYAWADA: In a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the State, the Microbiology department of Siddhartha Medical College (SMC) in the city is going to conduct research with the support of a Dutch team on ‘One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)’ project which will study the results of testing different antibiotics on various bacteria, such as E. Coli. This will conduct a detailed study on the occurrence and spread of AMR in humans, food and bacteria. While the Dutch team will provide technical training to conduct this project, the State team will do live research, for a duration of one year.
When the SMC team will be conducting research on drug resistance of bacteria in humans, NTR College of Veterinary Sciences in Gannavaram will be doing the same research on animals. The officials of State government related to the Animal Husbandry department are going to take part in that study.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr R Lakshmi Kumari, SMC head of Microbiology department said, “This project is the first-of-its-kind in AP. The research will be primarily on AMR, to see how bacteria such as E Coli survive inside human bodies, the antibiotics used on them and its effect on the human body, among other factors. Based on the outcome of this project, a new dose of antibiotics will be produced that doesn’t affect human health but deal with bacteria and viruses. Soon this project will take off, for which we have received funds from the central government.”
As pathogens have the ability to develop resistance towards the medicine that has been used to combat them, it is necessary to come up with new drugs and alternatives. “The reason why surgeons and medical practitioners end up prescribing a higher dosage of antibiotics is because of the increased resistive power of the pathogens. In order to kill pathogens in the body, the vital organs get affected by the heavy dosage. In order to stop this phenomenon, it is required to study the pathogens and also the antibiotics that are being used for effective treatments,” Lakshmi said.