Glasgow School of Art awarded £600,000 for antimicrobial resistance projects

More than £600,000 has been awarded to research projects at Glasgow School of Art (GSA) to address the problems of bacteria which is resistant to antibiotics.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) projects led by architecture and design researchers at the school attracted the funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The GSA attracted support for three different £250,000 research projects.

GSA director Professor Tom Inns said: The application of design is helping to devise innovative solutions to many issues facing contemporary society.

One of the most important challenges is increasing antimicrobial resistance where our experts in environmental research and design in age, health and care have already undertaken groundbreaking projects working with a wide range of interdisciplinary partners.

These AHRC AMR grants will now enable teams of experts led by researchers at the GSA to co-design responses to three key challenges - build -up of microbes in new housing, spread of AMR in hospitals and community health, increase of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in small animal veterinary practice - and to make real and tangible difference to people's lives.''

The projects will see the school joining forces with higher education institutions across the UK plus specialists Fitzpatrick Referrals, the practice of Noel Fitzpatrick, Channel 4's Supervet.

The AHRC distributed a total of £2 million to 11 projects in the awards.

A spokesman for the organisation said: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), especially resistance to antibiotics, is a growing global problem.

We are facing a rise in the number of bacteria becoming resistant to existing antibiotics without an increase in new antibiotics or new treatments.

It is clear that an interdisciplinary approach is needed to tackle these challenges and make a step change in addressing antimicrobial resistance.''