Antimicrobial-resistant infections are on the rise, so we need to mitigate factors contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. One possible action is to avoid using antimicrobial products that can select bacteria resistant to antibiotics to treat human infections.
However, a world without antimicrobial products is neither feasible nor desirable. Disinfectants are used in households and industrial settings to prevent microbial contamination. Antimicrobial products are added to food products to extend their shelf-life.
Therefore, we aim to develop antimicrobial products naturally produced by plants and structurally different from currently used antibiotics, so they do not contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance.
In collaboration with Nature Recombined Sciences and the Sorensen Lab, we are exploring the antimicrobial properties of plants to develop safe antimicrobials for the food industry.
