Swab and Send
Swab and Send
2020 – present
The challenge
Antibiotics are the cornerstone of modern medicine and secure global food production. But the bacteria they are designed to control are evolving resistance at an unprecedented rate. This antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now considered one of the greatest threats to global public health.
In 2019, bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths and contributed to nearly 5 million more. Without the discovery of new antibiotic compounds we risk entering a ‘post-antibiotic era’ where common infections once again become fatal.
About the project
Led by Dr Adam Roberts, Swab & Send is enlisting the public to swab and send samples to help unearth new antibiotics. It will allow the team to sample environments that lab researchers could never access alone, from household kitchens to local parks.
By crowdsourcing samples from everyday environments the project will significantly expand the library of unique microbes available for testing.
Get involved
Want to play your part in the hunt for the next antibiotic? Find out how to get involved.
