Breaking our links with antibiotic resistant bacteria

Itziar Alkorta, degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry PhD (UPV/EHU). She did a postdoctoral stay at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, she is a lecturer in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Dept, UPV/EHU. She directs a research group focused on understanding the molecular mechanism of bacterial conjugation to provide solutions to the problem of the spread of antibiotic resistance among bacteria. She has supervised numerous doctoral theses, master thesis and graduate works. Shee has written nearly 120 scientific and science dissemination articles, and she has led and participated in numerous research projects. She has been director of the Biofisika Institute (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology and member of the Board Committee of the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Since 2017 she is a member of AKADEME II. Currently, she is the coordinator of the Joint Research Laboratory on Environmental Antibiotic Resistance and the Director of the General Research Services (SGIker) of the UPV/EHU.

Nestor Etxebarria, Professor at Analytical Chemistry Dept (UPV/EHU) and member of the IBeA Group, one of the groups supporting the Plentzia Marine Station (PiE). Currently our research is focused on the analysis of organic microcontaminants and ecotoxicology. Since 2014, in PiE our activities are focused in marine environment. We develop nontarget analytical methods for application in environmental and ecotoxicological issues. We collaborate with research groups of the Basque Country, Spain and Europe. We are part of the Joint Research Laboratory on Environmental Antibiotic Resistance. I am co-author of 195 international publications and 4 textbooks of chemistry and analytical chemistry in Basque. I was PI of projects of the Spanish Ministry, I have also participated in an H2020 project (2016-19), and recently BlueAdapt EU project (in call HORIZON-HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02) has been approved. I have supervised 15 PhDs and more than 25 master theses. I was the Head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the UPV/EHU (2011-2019). Currently, I am member of the academic board of the Erasmus Mundus Master on Marine Environment and since May 2020, I am the coordinator of the Master on Environmental Contamination and Toxicology UPV/EHU

Lucía Gallego, Graduated in Medicine and Surgery, Master in Recombinant DNA Technology, PhD in Medicine and Surgery. Prof. of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine & Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Representative of the Faculty of Medicine & Nursing in the National Plan Against Antibiotic Resistance (PRAN) of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS). Head of the Acinetobacter baumannii Research Group working on the study of antibiotic resistance and its dissemination through mobile genetic elements among clinical isolates causing serious hospital-acquired infections that have become a worldwide threat as multidrug-resistant isolates have dramatically risen worldwide. Collaborations with international groups from Germany, Egypt, Bolivia and UK, Author of 53 international publications, 9 book chapters, 79 international congress. Participation in 54 research projects, 28 as PI. Supervisor of 12 PhD, 12 MSc, 16 undergraduates, 6 OWSD mentoring

Carlos Garbisu is the Scientific Director of NEIKER. He holds a degree in Biology from the University of the Basque Country, a Master of Science from the Imperial College of Science and Technology (London), and a PhD from King's College London. He did postdoctoral studies at the University of California at Berkeley. In 2018 he was recognised by the Basque Government for his research work. In 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 he was included in the "World's Most Influential Scientists" by researchers at Stanford University. He collaborates in several master's degrees where he focuses his teaching on soil microbiology. He investigates on the use of microbial ecology tools to assess the impact of disturbances on soil sustainability, as well as to monitor the effectiveness of biological remediation processes. He has 187 articles in the Scopus database, with an h-index = 55. He collaborates as an expert in the United Nations Harmony with Nature Network.

Eva is a coordinator and communicator at Uppsala University, experienced in management and communications, and specializing in antibiotic resistance. She is a former microbiology researcher with a strong interest in science communication, network building, and facilitation within science. She has worked on genetics and evolution at the University of Granada, the Spanish Research Council, and the Uppsala University (Ph.D. in Medical Sciences on bacterial evolution). She currently works at the Uppsala Antibiotic Center, taking care of the overall project management, content creation, communication, and networking, and also supports the communications efforts of PLATINEA (Platform of Innovation of Existing Antibiotics). Having a passion for science communication, she works producing the center’s podcast and organizing the center’s outreach activities. Her role as a communicator also involves managing social media accounts, websites, and media content, as well as taking care of the flow of information within the organizations and toward extended networks. Additionally, she has recently joined Rx Dynamics, a diagnostics start-up company, as their part-time Chief Operational Officer.

Dr. Olof Lindahl is an Associate Professor in International Business and works at the Department of Business Studies at Uppsala University. Lindahl is also a member of the management team at the Uppsala Antibiotic Center. His research interests concern: - Innovation in the antibiotic industry, particularly in relation to economic policy interventions in firms’ new economic models to incentivize innovation in antibiotics. - Technology transfer - international diffusion of diagnostic tools for bacterial infections. - Policy interventions to tie incentives for antibiotic R&D to models ensuring the responsible use of new drugs. Presently, Lindahl is the leader of ‘iDX: An Exploration of Regulatory, Corporate, Relational, and Technical Barriers to Supply and Global Use of Diagnostics in the Fight Against AMR’ funded by the JPIAMR. This multidisciplinary consortium involves partners from Uppsala University, University of Cape Town, Karolinska Institute, Université Laval and the BEAM Alliance.

Peter holds a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from 2014. His work studies the intersection of sustainable development and (re-)emerging infectious diseases with a special focus on antibiotic resistance. Since 2019, he leads the research group on global health at the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere programme at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is theme leader of Anthropocene Dynamics at the sustainability science hub Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University and is affiliated with the Uppsala Antibiotic Centre at Uppsala University. He is currently the PI of an ERC starting grant INFLUX – Emerging pests and pathogens as a novel lens for unravelling social-ecological cascades (2022-2027) and has led two successful international consortia on the links between AMR and sustainable development. His work has been featured in Nature, Science, PNAS and the Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Professor of Cell Biology (UPV/ EHU, 2011). Deputy Director Plentzia Marine Station (2012-). Researcher in the Consolidated Research Group Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology. Pre and postdoctoral research studies in: U Wales (Aberystwyth, Cardiff), U Innsbruck, U Azores. He has supervised 9 PhDs (+ 3). Interests on the development and application of biomarkers of effect against exposure to metals in aquatic and terrestrial organisms (earthworms, molluscs, polychaetes, fishes), cellular localization and quantification of metal ions, transit of metals (aqueous forms, massive forms and nanoparticles), plastics, antibiotics, etc. Responsible of the stranced cetaceans network in Euskadi. >125 papers (>85% in Q1; H Index= 32), and >300 contributions at conferences. PI of research projects funded by the Spanish Ministry, UPV/EHU, Basque Government and contracts. Participant >20 years in European research projects. Evaluator for Agencies (Spanish, Portuguese, UK, Argentina). Founding Member of the Latin American Society of Environmental Contamination & Toxicology. Vicedean of FCT/ZTF (2007-2012), Coordinator of Master MER (2012-), Member of Committee: Ethics and Animal Welfare (2009-12).