antibiotics

Materials from the iAMR team for teaching & illustrating AMR

Are you looking for more information about Antibiotic Resistance or antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? Do you need a video or graphic to illustrate AMR to your class or share to your social media followers? Check out some of the resources in the ever-growing AMR library curated by the iAMResponsible team, which is an affiliate of the […]

Materials from the iAMR team for teaching & illustrating AMR Read More »

Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , , ,

TYPES OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Bacteria have evolved to survive in diverse environments. They survive exposure to harsh chemicals including antibiotics, and they also survive difficult growth conditions. They have learned to “detoxify” harmful substances e.g. antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance can either be intrinsic or acquired. INTRINSIC (INNATE) RESISTANCE Some bacteria are said to possess innate/intrinsic resistance against antibacterial action put

TYPES OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE Read More »

Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) & Antibiogram, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , ,

BRIEF HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Antimicrobial agents, particularly antibiotics are the most significant class of pharmaceuticals and are one of the most influential medical inventions of the twentieth century. They have undeniably been a boon to human society in the fight against bacteria, saving millions of lives. Nonetheless, the number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is increasing across

BRIEF HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE Read More »

Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) & Antibiogram, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , ,

HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTICS – a synopsis on how it all started

Over the past 70 years, antibiotics have saved countless number of lives across the globe and enabled the further development of modern medicine as well as antimicrobial agents of diverse types with putative activity against pathogenic microorganisms. Despite the current state of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally, these antibiotics are currently used to counter the nefarious

HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTICS – a synopsis on how it all started Read More »

Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , ,

ERYTHROMYCIN

Erythromycin is a protein synthesis inhibitor that binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit of the bacterial ribosome. It is found in the family of antibiotics known as the macrolides; and antibiotics in this group are generally protein synthesis inhibitors. Other macrolides include azithromycin and clarithromycin. Lincomycin and clindamycin are antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis in

ERYTHROMYCIN Read More »

Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, , , , ,

CHARACTERISTICS/FEATURES OF ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics including antibacterial agents, antiviral agents, antiprotozoal agents, and antifungal agents have some specific characteristics that distinguish them from other antimicrobial agents that are used for the treatment of microbial infections as well as in the control of microbes on inanimate surfaces. Some of these features are highlighted in this unit. References Ashutosh Kar (2008).

CHARACTERISTICS/FEATURES OF ANTIBIOTICS Read More »

Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, , ,

ALEXANDER FLEMMING (1881-1955)

Alexander Flemming, a Scottish born physician who spent most of his time studying bacteria discovered the world’s first antibiotic “Penicillin” from the mould Penicillium notatum. Though, mankind has used a number of chemicals including herbs to treat infectious diseases since time immemorial, the astonishing discovery of penicillin (the first therapeutically used antibiotic) marked the beginning

ALEXANDER FLEMMING (1881-1955) Read More »

General Microbiology, , , , ,

SPECTRUM OF ACTIVITY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS

The growth of pathogenic microorganisms is usually accompanied by the synthesis of new molecules including DNA, RNA and proteins. Microorganisms also acquire nutrient molecules from their surrounding environment or growth medium as their cells multiply and divide either in vivo or in vitro. Every drug has particular target site on pathogenic microorganisms when administered; and

SPECTRUM OF ACTIVITY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS Read More »

Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , , , , , ,

Overview of antimicrobial agents (antibiotics)

Ever since their discovery some decadesago, antimicrobial agents particularly antibiotics have saved mankind from the morbidity and mortality of innumerable infectious diseases and/or pathogenic agents even till date. Irrespective of the fact that pathogenic microorganisms have developed resistance genes or traits that allow them to dodge the antimicrobial onslaught of these agents or drugs, antimicrobial

Overview of antimicrobial agents (antibiotics) Read More »

Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , , ,

CLASSES OF ANTIBIOTICS

There are several classification/types of antibiotics today, which is based on bacterial spectrum of activity (whether broad or narrow) or type of activity exhibited by the agent (whether bactericidal or bacteriostatic). Some antibiotics are also classified based on their chemical structure. And this leaves antibiotics within a particular structural class to have similar patterns of

CLASSES OF ANTIBIOTICS Read More »

Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) & Antibiogram, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , ,