AMR Research Facility
The presence of antimicrobial drugs in an environment: in the wild, on a farm, in our homes or in our hospitals, populations of bacteria and/or fungi are selected to become drug-resistant. This antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global burden and solutions to the problem run into the billions of dollars to implement.
In addition to the research programs run by each of our Centre Leaders, the Monash Centre to Impact AMR runs a research facility to support external partners and clients, providing three approaches for testing and optimizing solutions to AMR. It is a PC2 facility, managed as three strategic investments:
- Preclinical testing models, particularly in the development and use of new infection models for 3D-imaging of infections and for pivots in the therapeutic landscape (e.g. development of a new model for AMR gonorrhea)
- AMR Surveillance & Interventions, including intervention-focused forensic surveillance across diverse environments from wastewater, natural ecosystems, food, people and animals to medical devices including intervention-focused forensic surveillance and deployment of AMR-reversing surfaces.
- Phage therapeutics, currently operating as the Monash Phage Foundry and linked in with the VicPhage Referral Service and Phage Australia.
We are partnered with the CSIRO to deliver nationwide impacts for agriculture and industry.
There are opportunities for additional investment into this AMR Research Facility, including project-specific staff (for capacity, eg. to deliver additional animal models broadly used for preclinical assessment of therapeutics; to roll-out and assess new products that disfavour AMR superbug transmission; to add into the Phage Therapy biobank).
Working Group Members
The Facility acknowledges input from the Clinical Unmet Needs in AMR working group chaired by Dr. Nenad Macesic (Faculty of Translational Medicine and Public Health)