Antibiotic Resistance and Sustainable Healthcare

Question 1

What is intrinsic resistance?

Answer 1

Natural. No/different drug target, enzymes, reduced drug uptake, sequestration inside the bacterial cell

Question 2

What is acquired resistance?

Answer 2

Via mutation and/or horizontal gene transfer

Question 3

What is horizontal gene transfer?

Answer 3

Where bacteria are able to pick up genetic material from their environment and incorporate it into their genome

Question 4

What are the 3 mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer?

Answer 4

Bacterial transformation-release DNA
Bacterial transduction-release phage (virus)
Bacterial conjugation-bridge formed, plasmid replicates and passes into new cell

Question 5

What are the 2 ways that co-selection can occur?

Answer 5

Cross resistance-via pumps
Co-resistance-resistance genes

Question 6

What are some alternative to antibiotics?

Answer 6

Phage therapy
Vaccines
Antimicrobial peptides