Stubborn bacteria and so-called super-bugs are in the sights of researchers worldwide, and just a decade out from the centenary of the discovery of penicillin, World Science Festival Brisbane (WSF) will explore whether a whole new approach is needed.
Leading discussions at the Bugs & Drugs – The Resistance Wars Toowoomba event (16 March) will be Griffith University Microbiologist and Institute for Glycomics Research Leader, Associate Professor Kate Seib, who has her own sights set on some particularly nasty bacteria.
Dr Seib’s research into different kinds of vaccines for middle ear infections, meningococcal disease and the intractable STI gonorrhoea will hopefully find solutions, before the super-bugs get the better of us.
“Vaccines really need to be the long-term solution, because some of these bugs just continue to mutate to resist new antibiotics, which only really buy us a small amount of time,” Dr Seib said.
“The classes of bacteria I’m investigating only affect humans –