WORKINGS GROUPS

WG 1: Microbial population biology and ecology of resistance

• population biology and evolutionary genetics of microbial pathogens
• mechanisms of emergence of resistance
• their dissemination within the bacterial population
• horizontal gene transfer
• reservoirs of resistance genes
• interplay between resistance, fitness and virulence
• impact on the epidemiology of resistance in Europe

WG 2: The clonal spread of resistant bacteria in Europe

• the clonal concept
• the geographical expansion of particular already established bacterial resistant clones in Europe
• models to understand the risk factors determining the spread of resistant microbes
• nosocomial pathogens with contrasting resistance drivers (e.g. P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter)
• role of policy-oriented research in terms of laboratory support for the international communicable disease surveillance network
• technology and concepts applicable to the molecular epidemiology of resistant clones as a guide to infection control policies.

WG 3: Antimicrobial drug discovery: exploitation of microbial genomics and of combinatorial chemistry for finding new molecular targets

• residual possibilities for the exploitation of “old” chemical structures
• the search for new antimicrobial classes
• the search for new molecular targets
• the role of computer-assisted research
• the role of microbial genetics
• the role of combinatorial chemistry

WG 4: Clinical, epidemiological and ecological research: designing and evaluating intervention to control resistance

• epidemiologic study design used for evaluating intervention in the hospital, chronic care and community settings to control antibiotic resistance
• clinical research for assessing the impact of antimicrobial resistance on patient outcome
• evaluation of clinical usefulness of novel diagnostic methods based on bacterial genomic

WG 5: Measures to control resistance by integrating microbiological, epidemiological and ecological research

• development of long-term projects to ascertain the weight of different risk factors
• quantification of the influence of antibiotic resistance in human health
• classical epidemiology, its value and its alternatives in antimicrobial resistance surveillance
• the role of epidemiology in designing surveillance programmes
• the role of epidemiology in analysing susceptibility results
• the role of epidemiology to implement target-specific measures of control

WG 6: Research policy: how to advance antimicrobial resistance research and translate knowledge into novel solutions

• current bottlenecks in European research
• the dramatic reduction in industrial investment in R&D of new antibiotics;
• present lack of incentives
• the need for interdisciplinary and public-private partnership to support research in this area (IPR issues);
• exchanges between industry, public health and academic bodies
• the role of scientific societies in training scientists and in promoting and co-ordinating research;
• the issue of funding clinical research to assess the impact of resistance on human health (outcome research) and to test the efficacy of control interventions (intervention trials);
• individual creativity and multi-centre research projects; role and possibilities of small-scale activities either alone or within the framework of larger forms of co-operation
• property and exploitation of findings