A research study of ICU patients across 12 European hospitals, led by the University of Oxford, provides a transformational new insight into how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emerges in patients with bacterial infections. The findings challenge the traditional view that AMR emerges from pathogens that acquire new mutations and the results suggest that interventions aimed at limiting the spread of bacteria between patients may provide a powerful approach to combat AMR. 

Julio Diaz Caballero, University of Oxford, Department of Biology, England

Rachel M. Wheatley, University of Oxford, Department of Biology, England

Nature Communications
July 12, 2023