AntiResist Mission

Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are among the deadliest bacterial pathogens threatening global health. Our research is guided by a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which these pathogens evade current treatments and our mission is to identify vulnerabilities in their biology and exploit them to develop novel therapies. We use the latest technologies and multi-disciplinary approaches to gain insights into the complex dynamics of host-pathogen interactions and to design targeted interventions that will be effective in the long-term.

At NCCR AntiResist, our team includes Swiss experts in microbiology, biochemistry, human biology, pharmacology, bioengineering science, and clinical medicine across multiple institutions, who work collaboratively to identify new antibiotics and antimicrobial strategies. This diversity of perspectives allows us to ensure that we are finding previously neglected possibilities and examining them from all angles. By focusing these expert collaborations on specific pathogens, we can confidently innovate to identify the targets, methods and technologies necessary to discover how to break down conventional approaches and develop a new generation of antimicrobial strategies.

We remain open at all times to ideas, discussions, and collaborations to open the pipeline for the development of new antimicrobials. Basel houses many pharmaceutical headquarters and is therefore a prime location for making progress against AMR. We have current collaborations with Roche, Spexis, BioVersys and Basilea with plans to build more of these relationships and establish a strong foundation for drug development using our research. We invite and encourage pharmaceutical companies to talk to us about potential collaborative work.

A crucial part of our work is to support our students and postdoctoral scientists to use the most effective research solutions for humanity’s long-term gain. Our Principal Investigators teach and mentor students at Masters and PhD levels to perfect and exploit state-of-the-art techniques and methodologies. Our PhD Fellowship is designed to allow PhD students access to multi-disciplinary knowledge for their first year, and we encourage and facilitate internships in the private sector, to enable a future generation to see beyond the bench and expand our antimicrobial research into the future. Reaching beyond universities is also vital. We are developing a school outreach programme and campaigns to inform public perception of AMR, guide people towards reduced infection risk and antibiotic use, and talk about our work, to ensure that the next generations grow up informed and ready to take on AMR.