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The University of Oxford received £ 100 million, one of the largest donations in its history, for a new institute that focuses on antibiotic resistance.
The gift from the chemical giant Ineos will be used to fund antimicrobial research at the institution, which played a key role in the origin of antibiotics after its academics developed the use of penicillin in the 1940s.
Researchers will seek to develop new drugs for animals and humans, as well as promote a more responsible use of the antibiotics we have, following an increase in antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.”
It is estimated that by 2050, up to 10 million deaths each year could be caused by antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs that are no longer effective in treating common diseases.
Research at Oxford University’s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology turned penicillin from a laboratory curiosity into a life-saving drug (Pic: path.ox.ac.uk)
Oxford Vice Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson said immediate action to address the problem was “imperative” as she warned it would be “cataclysmic” for surgeries if the infection could not be prevented with antibiotics.
“I think the pandemic has shown us the extraordinary high costs if you ignore an issue that is potentially heading your way.
“We certainly knew there was a high potential for another pandemic, it reminded us many times, and yet we were caught off guard.
“We know that human antibiotics, with each passing year, are less and less due to the growth of resistance, so it is absolutely imperative that we act, and I think that the impact of not being prepared for the pandemic reinforces the importance of acting sooner. it happens too late. “
“Every time he has surgery, the biggest risk is infection, so he receives an antibiotic to prevent it.
“Imagine if you couldn’t prevent infection, it would be catastrophic for so many surgeries,” he warned.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and president of Ineos, said he is “excited” to partner with the university “to accelerate progress to address this urgent global challenge.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe said he is ‘excited’ to partner with the university
Professor Richardson said the donation to the university was “wonderfully generous”, adding that it felt “totally appropriate” that Oxford was “at the forefront” of the search for antimicrobial resistance after the institution’s work with penicillin in the last century that saved millions of lives.
The university plans to have more than 50 postdoctoral research scientists working at the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance over the next five years, along with several doctoral students.
