resistance 15: the grand challenge
TRANSCRIPT
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Sir Mark WalportGovernment’s Chief Scientific Adviser
14th September 2015
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
• Health, wellbeing, resilience & security
• Knowledge translated to economic advantage
• The right science for emergencies
• Underpinning policy with evidence
• Advocacy and leadership for science
Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Credit: iStockphoto
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Risk is all-pervasive
Natural events
Credit: iStockphoto Credit: US Agricultural Research Service
Credit: Maccheek/PD
Credit: US Agricultural Research Service
Credit:Jeff Pettis/CC BY 3.0
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Human
Risk is all-pervasive
Credit: AP Credit: Robert Campbell/CC BY-SA 3.0
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Innovation is needed to mitigate these risks
The challenges we face include:
• Climate change
• Water security
• Food and agricultureCredit: Lindsey Bengtson/PD
Credit: stockphoto Credit: יגאל שרגיאן/CC BY 2.5
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Innovation has got us where we are
• Widespread electrification
• Improvements in healthcare
• Mass production systems
• Better transport links Credit: A_Werdan/PD
Credit: Foodcollection RF
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Forms of innovation and risks
1) High level of acceptance but who pays?
Credit: Sponge/CC BY-SA 3.0 Credit: Fluzone
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Forms of innovation and risks
2) Science meets values
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Credit: werktuigendagen/CC BY-SA 2.0
Credit: Peretzp/CC BY-SA 3.0
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Forms of innovation and risks
3) My risk, your benefit
Credit: istockphoto
Credit: Sunil060902/CC-BY-SA-3.0 Credit: US Dept of Energy/PD
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Forms of innovation and risks
4) Unintended consequences
Credit: Dalbera/CC BY 2.0 Credit: istockphoto
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Forms of innovation and risks
5) New challenges
Credit: US Air Force/CC BY-NC 2.0 Credit: Walterdenkens/CC BY-SA 3.0
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Resistance:Borne out of innovation
Humans:• Infections Diseases
→ Vaccines, Antibiotics
Animals and Plants:• Infectious diseases
• Pests
• Weeds
→Vaccines, Antibiotics, Pesticides, Herbicides
Credit: Rasbak/CC BY-SA 3.0 Credit: Pl77/CC BY-SA 3.0
Credit: CDC/James Hicks Credit: CDC/James Gathany
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Darwin in action:• Viruses • Microbes • Pests and weeds
"Influenza geneticshift" by Influenza_geneticshift.jpg: Dhorspool at en.wikipediaderivative work: Jiver - This file was derived from: Influenza geneticshift.jpg:. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons -
Resistance:A growing problem
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Resistance:Balance risk and benefits
We want to treat infections or infestations, however, we must balance the risks and benefits e.g.
• Antibiotics can damage gut flora, leading to opportunistic infections such as C difficile
• Herbicides and pesticides can kill ‘useful’ insects as collateral damage, and significantly harm biodiversity
• Needless use of antibiotics hastens the growth of resistance without providing any benefit
Credit: Sage Ross/CC BY-SA 3.0
Credit: Samir/CC BY 3.0
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
The important of meta-analysis:
Resistance:Need for clear evidence
NICE• Independent of the customer
• International leader on quality
• Creates evidence standard - "Technology Appraisal Process"
• Reviews evidence:
Science
Economics
• Provides clear recommendation to the customer
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Resistance:Need clear communication
To healthcare professionals
To the agricultural sector
The public at large
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Resistance: Market failures
Globally, we have not been investing enough in research to prepare for when our current disease controls will be ineffective
The Market Place is not working
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Resistance: The next steps?
Animals and plants• Breed new resistant species
• Develop new vaccines and antibiotics
• Develop new herbicides and pesticides
Humans• Develop new vaccines and
antibiotics - a constant race against nature
Credit: CDC/James Gathany
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Resistance: Science meets values
Teosinte Zea mays
Credit: Daniel Goehring/CC-BY-2.0
Resistance 15: The Grand Challenge
Conclusion
• Resistance is a huge and growing problem
• There are new tools, particularly in the area of genetics
• We need to work across disciplines, recognising commonalities
• Communication is key
• The market place is a challengeMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Credit: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. We apologise for any errors or omissions in the included attributions and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future versions of this slide set. We can be contacted through [email protected].
@uksciencechiefwww.gov.uk/go-science