Characterization of antibiotic resistance development of in synthetic and real wastewater.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global health and resistant bacterial populations have been observed to develop and spread in and around wastewater. However, studies on AMR development are typically conducted in ideal media conditions which can differ in composition and nutrient density from wastewater. In this study, we compare the growth and AMR development of in standard LB broth to a synthetic wastewater recipe and autoclaved wastewater samples from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA).

Effects of antibiotic interaction on antimicrobial resistance development in wastewater.

While wastewater is understood to be a critically important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance due to the presence of multiple antibiotic residues from industrial and agricultural runoff, there is little known about the effects of antibiotic interactions in the wastewater on the development of resistance. We worked to fill this gap in quantitative understanding of antibiotic interaction in constant flow environments by experimentally monitoring E. coli populations under subinhibitory concentrations of combinations of antibiotics with synergistic, antagonistic, and additive interactions.

Effects of Antibiotic Interaction on Antimicrobial Resistance Development in Wastewater.

Unlabelled: While wastewater is understood to be a critically important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance due to the presence of multiple antibiotic residues from industrial and agricultural runoff, there is little known about the effects of antibiotic interactions in the wastewater on the development of resistance. We worked to fill this gap in quantitative understanding of antibiotic interaction in constant flow environments by experimentally monitoring populations under subinhibitory concentrations of combinations of antibiotics with synergistic, antagonistic, and additive interactions. We then used these results to expand our previously developed computational model to account for the complex effects of antibiotic interaction.

PharmaChk: a decade of research and development towards the first quantitative, field-based medicine quality screening instrument.

Biomedical and clinical scientists play a major role in translating observations into interventions - therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices including screening instruments - that improve the health of individuals and the public. This path from observation to intervention is often long and beset with obstacles, many unanticipated. We believe that sharing concrete, real-word examples of scientists in academia moving along this path will highlight some of the types of challenges one may face; here we focus on an intervention being developed by the Zaman lab at Boston University - PharmaChk, the first quantitative, field-based instrument for medicine quality screening.

Computational Model To Quantify the Growth of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Wastewater.

Although wastewater and sewage systems are known to be significant reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacterial populations and periodic outbreaks of drug-resistant infection, there is little quantitative understanding of the drivers behind resistant population growth in these settings. In order to fill this gap in quantitative understanding of the development of antibiotic-resistant infections in wastewater, we have developed a mathematical model synthesizing many known drivers of antibiotic resistance in these settings to help predict the growth of resistant populations in different environmental scenarios. A number of these drivers of drug-resistant infection outbreak, including antibiotic residue concentration, antibiotic interaction, chromosomal mutation, and horizontal gene transfer, have not previously been integrated into a single computational model.

Predicting resource-dependent maternal health outcomes at a referral hospital in Zanzibar using patient trajectories and mathematical modeling.

Poor intra-facility maternity care is a major contributor to maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Close to 830 women die each day due to preventable maternal complications, partly due to the increasing number of women giving birth in health facilities that are not adequately resourced to manage growing patient populations. Barriers to adequate care during the 'last mile' of healthcare delivery are attributable to deficiencies at multiple levels: education, staff, medication, facilities, and delays in receiving care.

Small volume method for drug release screening using ultrasonic agitation.

Drug release testing plays a major role along all parts of the dosage form development and manufacturing process. However, official methods to perform this type of testing are often resource intensive and require highly specialized facilities. Affordable and accessible methods for studying drug release behavior are currently lacking.

Modeling patient access to therapeutic oxytocin in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Background: Our objective is to estimate the effects of therapeutic oxytocin supply chain factors and social determinants of health on patient access to oxytocin in low-income settings using system dynamics modeling. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), a major cause of maternal mortality disproportionately affects women in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization recommends therapeutic oxytocin as the frontline uterotonic for PPH management and prevention.

Controlling uncertainty in aptamer selection.

The search for high-affinity aptamers for targets such as proteins, small molecules, or cancer cells remains a formidable endeavor. Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential Enrichment (SELEX) offers an iterative process to discover these aptamers through evolutionary selection of high-affinity candidates from a highly diverse random pool. This randomness dictates an unknown population distribution of fitness parameters, encoded by the binding affinities, toward SELEX targets.

Rapid and specific drug quality testing assay for artemisinin and its derivatives using a luminescent reaction and novel microfluidic technology.

Globally, it is estimated that about 10-30% of pharmaceuticals are of poor quality. Poor-quality drugs lead to long-term drug resistance, create morbidity, and strain the financial structure of the health system. The current technologies for substandard drug detection either are too expensive for low-resource regions or only provide qualitative results.

Tackling HIV through robust diagnostics in the developing world: current status and future opportunities.

Over the last thirty years, the world has seen HIV circulate the globe, affecting 33 million people to date and killing 2 million people a year. The disease has affected developed and developing countries alike, and in the U.S.