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well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Since the 19th century, | well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Since the 19th century, | ||
significant efforts have been made to eradicate all sorts of diseases, including polio, | significant efforts have been made to eradicate all sorts of diseases, including polio, | ||
− | smallpox, and malaria in most developed countries. It is not a coincidence that most | + | smallpox, and malaria in most developed countries. It is not a coincidence that most iGEM teams |
targeted this sustainable development goal, since one of the main applications of synthetic | targeted this sustainable development goal, since one of the main applications of synthetic | ||
biology is the treatment of diseases. Whether they come from pathogens, or from pollution, most | biology is the treatment of diseases. Whether they come from pathogens, or from pollution, most | ||
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<p><b>SDG 17. Partnerships for the goals: </b>Most teams agreed that partnerships are the key to | <p><b>SDG 17. Partnerships for the goals: </b>Most teams agreed that partnerships are the key to | ||
achieve major advancements in any field, specially if we are talking about development. For us, | achieve major advancements in any field, specially if we are talking about development. For us, | ||
− | one of the main reasons why | + | one of the main reasons why iGEM is unique, is because it promotes collaborations, and exchange |
of ideas between many different countries and disciplines. Even if a team has a project more | of ideas between many different countries and disciplines. Even if a team has a project more | ||
oriented towards local issues, it’s important to document and share gathered information or | oriented towards local issues, it’s important to document and share gathered information or | ||
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achieve efficiency, and to minimize pollution via recycling. Being responsible with the | achieve efficiency, and to minimize pollution via recycling. Being responsible with the | ||
environment is one of the main axes of sustainable development. We need to shift our mindsets | environment is one of the main axes of sustainable development. We need to shift our mindsets | ||
− | from “How can we produce more and | + | from “How can we produce more and cheaper?” to “How can we produce more efficiently, minimizing |
− | our environmental | + | our environmental impact?”. A significant amount of teams agreed with this. Pollution is a small |
and large scale concern, and efforts have to be doubled in order to solve this problem. Most of | and large scale concern, and efforts have to be doubled in order to solve this problem. Most of | ||
the teams in this collaboration have projects related directly to reducing contamination in | the teams in this collaboration have projects related directly to reducing contamination in | ||
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is one of the most fundamental in matter of development. Progress is absolutely necessary for | is one of the most fundamental in matter of development. Progress is absolutely necessary for | ||
sustainable development, and innovation is key to progress. Whether it comes from the | sustainable development, and innovation is key to progress. Whether it comes from the | ||
− | improvement of already existing processes, or the creation of completely new technologies, | + | improvement of already existing processes, or the creation of completely new technologies, iGEM |
teams agree that to make a change, it’s important to create something new and relevant. This | teams agree that to make a change, it’s important to create something new and relevant. This | ||
− | also closely related to the very theme of | + | also closely related to the very theme of iGEM, which is the development of synthetic biology, |
through interdisciplinary innovation. | through interdisciplinary innovation. | ||
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result, only a few large companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck and Roche are still | result, only a few large companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck and Roche are still | ||
actively engaged in antibiotic research and development (Jackson, Czaplewski & Piddock, 2018).</p> | actively engaged in antibiotic research and development (Jackson, Czaplewski & Piddock, 2018).</p> | ||
− | <p>During our problems exploration we realized antibiotic resistance consists | + | <p>During our problems exploration we realized antibiotic resistance consists on the two problems |
mentioned above. Therefore, we decided to go out the lab to help create awareness on antibiotic | mentioned above. Therefore, we decided to go out the lab to help create awareness on antibiotic | ||
resistance in our country and prove the prevalence of antibiotic resistance bacteria using the agar | resistance in our country and prove the prevalence of antibiotic resistance bacteria using the agar |
Revision as of 01:12, 21 October 2019
Human practices are meant to explain why our project is important to the world. Here we present how we do an intense work to inform the people of Costa Rica about Synthetic Biology, iGEM and the new possibilities of Engineered Probiotics.
Antibiotic resistance: A global problem
Since we were brainstorming about possible problems to be addressed, we quickly (not so much) stumbled upon the issue of antibiotic resistance. This phenomenon is expected to provoke up to 10 million annual deaths by 2050 (O'Neill, 2014), possibly the first death cause worldwide. This has lead the United Nations to declare antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to global public health.
Resistant bacterial infections: Choosing our project aim
Antibiotic resistance is an exponential growing problem around the world and it has a very serious social impact. Looking for a solution to this problem we focused on a gastrointestinal pathogen, Clostridioides difficile. This bacteria infected patients in 21 of the 29 hospitals of Costa Rica from 2011-2014. Even one of our team members has suffered from this illness.
Problems:
Awareness for antibiotic resistance is lacking
There is a worldwide lack of knowledge on the subject of microbial resistance to antibiotics and Costa Rica is not the exception. Globally, the main cause of this problem is the misuse of antibiotics, leading to the survival of some resistant bacteria, able to spread again. Also, the bad waste management of these drugs contributes to increase resistant bacteria. This bacteria can later transfer their resistance to human microbiota (van Rijn et al., 2019).
Research is being conducted to discover new antibiotics. However, only two new antibiotic classes (lipopeptides and oxazolidinones) have been developed and approved by international drug agencies (US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency) in the last three decades (Tacconelli et al., 2018). The field of antibiotics is not lucrative enough for pharmaceutical companies and newly discovered compounds remain similar in function to current antibiotics. As a result, only a few large companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Merck and Roche are still actively engaged in antibiotic research and development (Jackson, Czaplewski & Piddock, 2018).
During our problems exploration we realized antibiotic resistance consists on the two problems mentioned above. Therefore, we decided to go out the lab to help create awareness on antibiotic resistance in our country and prove the prevalence of antibiotic resistance bacteria using the agar antibiotic resistance test.
Larger agar antibiotic resistance test
We went to the streets to have a closer encounter with people. In total we sampled 10 different places of Costa Rica: La Agonía Park in Alajuela, Central Park in Heredia, Central Park in Cartago and seven different places in San Jose (Central Park, El Mercado Central, La Sabana Metropolitan Park, France Park and the buses stations from Limón, Puntarenas and Liberia). We talked to 100 Costa Ricans, explained them a little bit of our problem and sampled their mouth with sterile swabs and following the National Health Ministry regulations. Samples were grown in petri dishes supplemented with amoxicillin (antibiotic most commonly used in Costa Rica) for 24h at 37 °C.
References
Jackson, N., Czaplewski, L., & Piddock, L. J. (2018). Discovery and development of new antibacterial drugs: learning from experience?. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 73(6), 1452-1459.
O’Neill, J. (2014). Antimicrobial resistance. Tackling a Crisis for the Health and Wealth of Nations.
Tacconelli, E., Carrara, E., Savoldi, A., Harbarth, S., Mendelson, M., Monnet, D. L., ... & Ouellette, M. (2018). Discovery, research, and development of new antibiotics: the WHO priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and tuberculosis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 18(3), 318-327.
van Rijn, M., Haverkate, M., Achterberg, P., & Timen, A. (2019). The public uptake of information about antibiotic resistance in the Netherlands. Public Understanding of Science, 28(4), 486-503.