# 4997
The 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) got underway in Boston on Sunday, and we are fortunate that videos of the press conferences are being webcast live and archived via uStream.
You can visit MicrobeWorld for a complete schedule and links to the embedded videos.
There are (as of this writing) 7 videos available for viewing, with 3 more expected tomorrow.
Topics include:
What Big Pharma Wants and What Small Biotech Can Offer
Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens: An Emerging Pediatric Threat
Hand washing Survey Results
Emerging Issues in Infectious Disease
A Role for Statins in Infectious Disease?
Community-associated MRSA: Why is it spreading so quickly?
Is the Era of Bacterial Culture Ending?
Weird Bugs, Weird Places: The Microbial Risks of Taking a Shower
The big `buzz’ topic right now, of course, is the emergence of NDM-1 (New Dehli metallo-beta-lactamase-1). This is a newly discovered gene that can spread via a plasmid to a variety of bacteria, conveying to them multi-drug resistance.
The panel discussing NDM-1 includes Professor Timothy Walsh (see NDM-1: Professor Timothy Walsh On Losing The Darwinian Battle), the lead author on the Lancet article last month that has sparked so much concern, along with Johann Pitout and Patrice Nordmann.
While it may be months or even years before the full impact of this type of antibiotic resistance is felt, the shared concern expressed by the panelists should serve as a wake up call for viewers.
WATCH NDM-1: The New Superbugs
Kudos to ICAAC for making these videos available online.
I’ve only had time to watch the one presentation, but hope to view several more over the next couple of days.
