Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance - often referred to as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) although this term covers anti-virals, anti-fungals and other products - can occur when antibiotics are present in concentrations too low to inhibit bacterial growth, triggering cellular responses in the bacteria that allow them to survive. These bacteria can then reproduce and spread their antibiotic-resistant genes to other generations, increasing their prevalence and leading to infections that cannot be healed by antibiotics. This is a growing matter of concern as antibiotic resistance is considered to be a serious future threat to human welfare. Infectious diseases are the third leading cause of death in Europe and a future without effective antibiotics would fundamentally change the way modern medicine is practised.