Scientists harness food by-products to fight antimicrobial resistance

Scientists are embarking on a £1.1 million project aimed at revolutionising drug production by using food by-products to develop new antimicrobial drugs.

Led by the University of Strathclyde in collaboration with the University of Surrey and GSK, the research endeavours to make antimicrobial production more cost-effective and sustainable, thereby addressing the pressing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

The project seeks to leverage bacteria, particularly Streptomyces, known for their potential to produce various drugs including antimicrobials. By harnessing food by-products, the team is aiming to device a less carbon-intensive process for biomanufacturing, which could pave the way for a range of medications including anti-parasitic, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, and immunosuppressant drugs.

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Prof. Paul Hoskisson, the lead researcher at Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, underscored the urgency of this, stating, "a major challenge in industrial biotechnology is the use and exploitation of sustainable industrial feedstocks for fermentation bioprocesses which deliver greener manufacturing, less carbon intensive processes and cleaner growth, and do not compete with the food chain"

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The project will employ engineering biology approaches to steer antimicrobial-producing bacteria towards using food by-products, thereby circumventing the need for expensive, food-grade feedstocks. This will aim to ensure that high-value drugs are still produced while making use of food by-products.

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Prof. Claudio Avignone Rossa from the University of Surrey pointed out the global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the importance of innovative approaches to drug development and production. Rossa stated, "Pathogens that have become resistant to antibiotics can limit our ability to treat common infections and deliver other lifesaving treatments such as chemotherapy. Antimicrobial drugs are available; however, their development and production are costly, it is important that we think innovatively and use our knowledge of bacterial metabolism to overcome this problem.”

(With inputs from agencies)