The AMR Studio

We are finally back from our looooong break! Welcome, to another episode of The AMR studio, now again with co-host Elin Fermer at the mic after her maternity break. We are so thrilled to bring you our conversation with Eva Krockow, a psychologist working with decision making, risk communications, and language. We learn about her interests and path, and what’s on the pipeline for her.

On the news, we bring you a recent article looking at if the new generation of large language models AI tools such as chat-GPT could be useful to identify resistance, and the most recent pre-print by our interviewee on the use of metaphors in AMR.

We hope you enjoy and are ready for an autumn of goodness, learning and fun at our studio!

Check relevant links in the show notes here https://www.uu.se/en/centre/uppsala-antibiotic-center/communication/the-amr-studio/episode-56. Follow our updates on twitter/X with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss.

Coming to your right live from ESCMID Global 2024! Last month, the we participated in the most massive conference ever, ESCMID Global (previously known as ECCMID) in beautiful Barcelona, this year counting with 18.000 registered attendees (yes, you read that right!). We took the opportunity to sit down to catch a breath, and catch up, with some friends and colleagues whom we have not seem for a while! Listen to the updates from Andrea Caputo Svensson, Marius Linkevicius, Po-Cheng Tang & Christer Malmberg, as we talk about health policy, public health, industry vs. academia, the road from prototype to bedside, and much more! We hope you enjoy. Check relevant links in the show notes at https://www.uu.se/en/centre/uppsala-antibiotic-center/communication/the-amr-studio/episode-x12. Follow our updates on twitter/X on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Welcome to April dear listeners! In this episode, we bring you an interview with Dr. Alberto Antonelli, researcher at the University of Florence doing a very important job: taking care of testing and optimizing new diagnostic technologies in high AMR-impacted settings such as Italy. Tune in to listen his path to his research field, the challenges he faces and what we should be looking forward to in the future. In the news section, we first cover a recent comment article by Otto Cars and Matti Karvanen presenting why the current way we talk and communicate about resistance is blocking global action, and a recent research article published by the group of our center’s director, investigating the mysterious, and sometimes fleeting, fitness of plasmids in different hosts. We hope you have a great time with us! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode55. Follow our updates on twitter/X on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

After a short hiatus, we are back with our regular episodes, and with a pop-up guest co-host! Tune in to our first of 2024, where we learn about surveillance and use of health data for its automation with Suzanne Ruhe-van der Werff, research specialist at Karolinska Institutet. In this interview, we learn about Suzanne’s path from parasitology to infection prevention and control and talk about the future of infectious diseases and resistance surveillance through her current research, which looks into using artificial intelligence and algorithms that use patient health records. In the news, we bring you two research articles, the first presenting the results of a preorganized antibiotic design to overcome resistance due to the way it binds to the ribosome, and the second looking into the mechanisms of species-species interaction between a probiotic and a pathogenic bacteria and how this knowledge led to an engineered probiotic better at preventing pathogen defenses. We hope you enjoy this episode! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode54. Follow our updates on twitter/X on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

How can we prevent antibiotic resistance together? For this World AMR Awareness Week 2023, we focus on this togetherness by highlighting Community Engagement in AMR, with 8 guests bringing us their perspectives on what communities and community engagement are, how community engagement can be essential on the road to mitigate the effects of resistance globally, and what they hope happens in this area in the short future. We truly believe that meaningfully engaging communities and civil society actors in this field is an essential part in mitigating the effects of resistance worldwide, and that together we can make an impact. Because the community is all of us, the community is all of you. Happy WAAW23! Check out the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episodex11/ and the whole episode transcript at https://bit.ly/epx11_transcript. Follow our updates on twitter/X on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Welcome to November! In this episode, we bring you the work of Álvaro San Millán, group leader at the National Center for Biotechnology in Spain, where he researches the role of plasmids in antibiotic resistance. In this interview, among other things, we talk about how understanding plasmid biology can lead to new ways of tackling resistance, and learn about his impressions of being a young group leader and setting up a multidisciplinary team. In the news section, we are being very “communicative” this month, first covering a recent study looking at 6 different terms used in AMR communications in terms of being able to evoque risk and being remembered, and a paper published by CE4AMR, where they share their insights on what to include while co-creating solutions with communities, and why. We hope you have a great time with us! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode53 . Follow our updates on twitter on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Welcome to a new episode, albeit the slight delay! Tune in this October to listen to Elin’s first interview ever! She had the chance to sit down and talk to Jakob Altgärde, infectious diseases physician with experience in hospital work around infections and resistance in both Sweden and Nepal. With him, we learn how an ID physician works day-to-day, and the main differences between Sweden and Nepal when it comes to his work and AMR. In the news section, we first talk about a recent massive high-throughput screening done for drug combinations on gram positives (Bacillus, Staphylococcus & Streptococcus), and a thought piece by Claas Kirchhelle presenting the idea of the Antibiocene, a new geological era where AMR is the main signal of the phenotypic and genotypic changes that our microbial commons have suffered due to our relationship with antimicrobials. We hope you enjoy this hour with us! *Note: at minute 15:27 “World Bank” is heard as “world-bike”. Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode52 . Follow our updates on twitter on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

We are back from summer break with a new discipline at our studio, ethnobotany! Click play to hear about the work of ethnobotanist Cassandra Quave, a.k.a. The Plant Hunter, in her quest to find new antibiotics, anti-infectives, and biofilm inhibitors in plants used in traditional medicines around the world. We learn with her about the vast chemical world still yet to be studied, and how a horizontal lab works with its collaborators. In the news section, we bring you two recent research articles looking into the effects of antibiotics in two different ways: how broad-spectrum antibiotics use can influence the growth of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria, and how the presence of sub-MIC antibiotics changes the structure and diversity of river biofilms. Enjoy! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode51. Follow our updates on Twitter/X at http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with the #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Welcome to our July episode, just before the holidays! This month, we bring you an interview with Sophia Wood, designer, and teacher at the Beckmans College of Design. Sophia led a group of design students through the “interdisciplinary waters” as they prepared to make an exhibition about AMR which they named “Are We There Yet?”. Tune in to learn about her background, their process, and what this exhibition is all about. In the news section, we first bring you a scientific article about a compound reducing the mutagenesis that results from the use of ciprofloxacin, and two important news related to policy: a recommendation recently adopted by the Council of the European Union, and a priority research agenda brought forward by the World Health Organization. We hope you enjoy this month, we see you back in September. Have a lovely summer ahead! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode50. Follow our updates on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

June comes with a bang! Tune in to this episode to hear the insights of the incomparable Dame Sally Davies, former UK Chief Medical Officer and current UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance. We chat with her about her path to being a global advocate on AMR, the need for better global governance, and what her vast experience has taught her. Talking to her was a truly inspirational experience.​ In the news section, we bring you a very cool article using deep learning and computational methods (hello Artificial Intelligence!) to find a potential antibiotic against Acinetobacter baumanii, and a brief study presenting the results of a new antimicrobial susceptibility testing that is independent of growth by analyzing bacterial nano-movement Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode49. Follow our updates on twitter on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Spring is back in Sweden, and so are we in your ears! This month of May we bring you an interview with Anna Sjöblom, director of ReAct Europe, a branch of an international organization working to promote and deliver action on antibiotic resistance. We learn about Anna’s background, the path that led her to ReAct, and many of the activities that ReAct has done and have currently ongoing. In the news section, we cover the latest expert policy brief published by ReAct, a recent article looking into how antibiotic use at a country level can affect the gut microbiome, and a study revealing that the evolutionary pathways of plasmids in a clinical setting might be more difficult to predict than previously thought. Thanks for tuning in! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode48 . Follow our updates on twitter on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify .

The AMR Studio goes on a field trip! Join our hosts Eva & Elin on their adventures in Copenhagen at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (a.k.a. ECCMID) this year. From 15th to 18th of April, more than 13.000 people came together to talk about the most recent advances in infectious diseases, including antimicrobial resistance. Listen to this special episode to peek into the crazy days that it was, and some of the things we learnt along the way. Check out the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episodex10/ . Follow our updates on twitter on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Music by Chillmore at Pixabay.

In this episode, we bring you a double interview with two women deeply involved in patient advocacy and AMR. Tune in to hear the story of Pernilla Rönnholm, chair and founder of Mirakel, an association advocating for premature babies and their families, and the work that Laura Cigolot is doing within the AMR patient group, a cross-European initiative to bring awareness of AMR to many kinds of patients. We learn their perspectives, synergies, and what they hope for the road ahead. In the news section, we cover an article looking into the potential financial incentives for antibiotic prescribing in Austria, and a study exploring the potential effects and uses of collateral phenotypes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We wish you a lovely month of April! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode47 . Follow our updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify

Ready for a new episode? This month of March we bring you an interview with Alison Prendiville, Professor of Service Design at London Colleague of Communication, University of the Arts, London. With Alison, we learn the importance of co-creation and design when working with implementation, and how crucial communication is in various forms for interdisciplinary research. Tune in to learn the journey that took her from working on designing in transport to applied work on AMR, and much more. In the news section, we talk about a recent research article estimating current trends of antimicrobial use on food-producing animals, and an article studying how antibiotic use shapes bacteriuria during COVID-19 ICU stays. In this episode, we also introduce you to our new co-host, PhD student Elin Fermér. We hope you have a great time with us this month! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode46 . Follow our updates on twitter on http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify .

Welcome to 2023! Tune in to this episode to hear the work and experience of Professor Nicola Gale, a sociologist with long experience in interdisciplinary work. We learn with her about sociological work, how she applies risk work theory to AMR, and her insights into the intersection between the application of guidelines and the personal experience of healthcare workers. In the news section, we bring you a recent research article looking into the relationship between the fungus in our microbiota and salmonella infections, and an important health policy publication analyzing and proposing a framework for the use of imagery in global health. In this episode, we also say goodbye to our lovely co-host, Dr. Jennifer Jagmann, as she continues onto new adventures. We hope you enjoy this one! Check relevant links in the show notes at http://www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode45. Follow our updates on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: http://www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify .

Welcome to this last episode of 2022! After a super busy and important month of November, we bring you a new episode with quite a Swedish perspective. On November 17th, we attended the Swedish Antibiotic Forum event and were able to talk to Jonas Fuks, an analyst at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, about the 10-year anniversary of the forum and the group behind it, the Swedish intersectoral coordination group. Learn how they have been working, what their goals are, and what their work has meant in the national efforts to reduce the impact of AMR. On the commentary, we also talk about our own experience at this year's forum, and what was covered. In the news section, we bring you two articles by researchers associated with the center, one interdisciplinary article looking at the use of the CRP test in primary care through the light of conversation analysis, and an article shedding light on the phenomenon of antibiotic persistence. We hope you have a good time with us! Check relevant links in the show notes at www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode44/. Follow our updates on twitter on www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Can you imagine a society where every individual and organization acts and works in a way to reduce the impact of antibiotic resistance? A society where everyone is aware of the problem and engaged in trying to resolve it? How would that look to you? For this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week we bring you the Antibiotic Smart Sweden initiative, a mission-oriented approach to system change, highlighting the importance of antibiotic resistance not just as a medical issue, but as a public health issue that is relevant to the whole society and sustainable development. Check out the show notes at www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episodex9/. Follow our updates on twitter on www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

Coming in hot for this November month! Today we have with us Dr. Vaughn Cooper, professor and director of the Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Tune in to learn about his deep love for evolution, his background at the Lenski lab, and his current work studying biofilms. For the news section, we first bring you Jenny's recent paper looking at the evolution of resistance to tigecycline and then move on to a UAC paper on the evolution of chromosomal hybrids which result in enlarged chromosomes. For a change, this time we also talk about vaccines, covering a surveillance study looking at the effect of pneumococcal vaccines and COVID-19 on AMR. We finish up the news by mentioning two big things released this month: a follow-up to the report on the global burden of AMR in 2019, this time with numbers on the WHO European Region, and a new WHO Fungal Priority Pathogen List. Buckle up, this episode covers a lot! Check relevant links in the show notes at www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode43/. Follow our updates on Twitter on www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

In this October episode, we bring you an interview with Dr. Björn Ronnerstrand, a political sciences researcher who brings to us how political sciences and AMR intersect and his work on the possible role of the EU in AMR policy. We also discuss the need for more political science research in this area and how AMR can be a fantastic starting point for theoretical work, not just practice. In the news section, we talk about a recent article on the role of trust in the non-prescribed acquisition of antibiotics, an update to the antibiotic prescribing consensus, and a recent article by a UAC alumn that describes the contextual factors behind prescribing patterns in Uganda. Ready for a rather thematic episode around antibiotic prescriptions? We hope you enjoy it! Check relevant links in the show notes at www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode42/. Follow our updates on twitter on www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.

In this September episode, we bring you a 2-for-1 interview! Listen to Bruce Blough & Elliott Pauli talk about the Chemistry Center for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (CC4CARB) project they are working on, an innovative chemistry center focused on the synthesis, acquisition, and distribution of rationally designed, focused libraries free-of-charge to the global scientific community for use in Gram-negative antibacterial drug discovery programs. In this interview, we learn about Bruce & Elliott's background, how CC4CARB works and what it is bringing to the table. In our news section, first we cover a recent article looking into the evolution of beta lactamase-mediated resistance to cefiderocol, a new antibiotic with an innovative entry method. We also bring you a paper describing a protocol to study biofilms in space (yes, space!) and comment on the most recent report published by the WHO on antibiotic resistance awareness. We hope you enjoy this one! Check relevant links in the show notes at www.uac.uu.se/the-amr-studio/episode41/. Follow our updates on twitter on www.twitter.com/uac_uu with #theAMRstudio hashtag! Theme music by Henrik Niss: www.tinyurl.com/henriknissspotify.