Can We Fix It?

Since antibiotics have been discovered, we have been in an arms race with bacteria to stay ahead by developing new antibiotics as they become resistant to them. However, as the pipeline of new antibiotics dries up, we are running out of road. When the antibiotic drugs stop working, much of modern medicine will no longer be possible. What can we do to stop this threatened antibiotic apocalypse? Chris Darlow explains what we are doing to try and head this off at the University of Liverpool and elsewhere.

Why has a deadly disease gone 200 years without a cure? Pancreatitis is one of the most serious abdominal conditions, often requiring months of ICU care—and in many cases, it proves fatal. Yet no effective drugs exist. In this talk, discover how 15 years of groundbreaking research may finally change that, offering new hope for a condition long considered untreatable.

It’s easy to forget a daily pill - but missing doses can have serious consequences, from treatment failure to drug resistance. What if medicines could work for weeks or even months at a time, without needing to be taken every day? This talk explores the exciting world of long-acting therapeutics (medicines designed to last longer in the body) and how researchers in Liverpool are helping shape the future of treatment.

Jumping genes are powerful hitchhikers that inhabit DNA of all walks of life from microbes to humans. These rogue elements have the remarkable ability to rewire bacterial genomes providing boosts and superpowers to their hosts. Let's journey to unravel the secrets of these miniature genetic adventurers showcasing their quest for survival and self-interest within the world of bacteria. They are short snippets of DNA, but they can do so much! It's a story of intrigue, innovation, and evolution that's sure to leave you astounded by the tiny but mighty inhabitants of the bacterial world.