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Innovating Alternatives Podcast

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About the podcast

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem that threatens our ability to effectively treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. The widespread use of antimicrobials in animals reared for food production can exacerbate the emergence of treatment-resistant microorganisms in food systems, which threatens global health and food security.

Listen today on SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSoundcloud and on most podcast playing applications by searching “Innovating Alternatives”.
 

Episodes

Innovating Alternatives is a serialized podcast that follows researchers supported by the Innovative Veterinary Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance (InnoVet-AMR) initiative as they work to develop new animal vaccines and other innovations to tackle AMR in livestock and aquaculture production, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
 

1: Introducing Innovating Alternatives

We owe a lot to antimicrobials, particularly antibiotics. They underpin large swathes of modern medicine and are widely used in intensive food-animal production. However, the large-scale use of antimicrobials has consequences…

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2: A (not so) quick primer on AMR

A slow-moving tsunami; bacteria that can swap genes; and cooking lobsters. This episode unpacks the biological mechanisms leading to antimicrobial resistant microorganisms, what their emergence means to our way of life, and where we stand in terms of mobilizing global efforts to address the challenge of AMR.

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Featuring: Prof. Dame Sally Davies

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3: Phages – My enemy’s enemy is my friend

Chickens, mangoes and hypothetical shopping. In this episode we explore phages, the viruses of bacteria. We talk to researchers who are looking to harness the bacteria-killing abilities of phages to tackle the issue of salmonella in poultry farming in Kenya and Pakistan and how this novel technology might be perceived and adopted by farmers.

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Featuring: Prof Paul Ebner, Dr. Nicholas Svitek, Prof Sylvain Moineau, Prof Zafar Hayat, Prof Nicole Widmar, Dr. Zoe Campbell

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4: The curious case of aquaculture (and AMR)

Nanobubbles, bacterial small talk and a pack of PACAP punks punching holes in bacteria. In this episode we explore the diversity that is aquaculture, and the diverse approaches that researchers are adopting to develop alternatives to antibiotics for farming, the underwater type that is.

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Featuring: Prof Sophie St. Hilaire, Associate Prof. Dr Natrah Ikhsan, Prof Brian Dixon, Dr. Ha Thang Dong, Dr. Le Hong Phuoc

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5: Streptococcus Suis, have you tidied your room?

More than just a mouthful, the Streptococcus Suis bacterium is a leading cause of mortality in the pig industry worldwide and drives high volumes of antimicrobial use. With its sugar capsule and its multiple and varied strains, this sneaky pathogen evades attempts to control its spread. In this episode, we dive into the cutting-edge of vaccine development and learn about glycoconjugate vaccines and using big data to find hypothetical proteins.

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Featuring: Professor Mariela Segura, Professor Todd Lowary, Dr. Egan, Dr. Blanchard, Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy and Dr Nguyen Xuan Huyen

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Bonus Episode: A Charismatic Beetle

To celebrate World One Health Day, Innovating Alternative brings you a bonus episode! This short story about rainforests and kissing beetles illustrates the One Health concept in action.

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Featuring: Dominique Charron, Vice-President of Programs and Partnerships, IDRC

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Additional info

Get in touch and let us know what you think of the podcast by email innovetamr@idrc.ca or on twitter @Livestock_IDRC .

InnoVet-AMR is a CA$27.9 million partnership between IDRC and the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global AMR Innovation Fund.