Policy briefings

The UK is a world leader in biofilm research and innovation. To further progress, the UK government should consider several actions, such as providing sustained funding for interdisciplinary research hubs and ensuring researchers have access to critical infrastructure and training.

Microbes do not exist in isolation. Instead, they live in complex and dynamic communities in which different microbial species are constantly interacting.

AMR occurs when disease-causing bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites (pathogens) are no longer affected by the medicines that have been developed to target them. Drug-resistant pathogens can cause infections that are difficult or impossible to treat; they increase the risk of disease spread and can lead to severe illness, disability and death.

Human microbiome research is an exciting and dynamic field that has the potential to benefit many areas of our society and the economy. Microbiome research has progressed rapidly since the development of new genomic technologies and investment in large-scale, collaborative projects such as The Human Microbiome Project, a ten-year research initiative launched in 2007 which set out to characterise the human microbiome and its role in health and disease. Evidence from this project, alongside more recent studies, suggests that the findings from microbiome research can be used to improve human health.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent global threats to public health in the 21st century. AMR refers to disease-causing microbes (also known as pathogens) evolving and gaining resistance to drugs and substances that were once effective treatments against infections (antimicrobials). It poses significant challenges to current clinical care, health economies, animal and plant health, as well as the environment. Microbiologists from across the world are committed to developing innovative solutions to combat AMR and reduce its impact on global health.