On June 11 – 12 2025, experts on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from around the world convened in Oxford for the Beyond Antibiotics: translation and impact conference. This two-day event explored novel approaches to deal with the threat posed by antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.
Key discussion themes included:
Rethinking antibiotic use
Prof Angela Huttner’s keynote address challenged conventional antibiotic treatment durations for urinary tract infections (UTIs), instead advocating for shorter and safer regimens.
Clinical insights revealed that up to one-third of UTIs can resolve without antibiotics, underscoring the need for better diagnostics and stewardship.
Innovations in diagnostics & therapeutics
From portable UTI point-of-care tests being developed by Llusern Scientific to antibiofilm wound dressings from Convatec, industry leaders showcased translational breakthroughs.
Novel antibiotic discovery work was highlighted, including high-throughput phenotypical screening by Bactobio and translation of novel classes of antibiotics using small molecules and natural products by Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group.
Oxford’s Beyond Antibiotics programme introduced research on new organoid models to study bacterial infection and new therapeutic approaches using microbubbles, ultrasound to treat bacterial infections.
Global & community perspectives
Discussions spanned antifungal resistance, antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries, and the importance of patient voices in shaping care.
Behavioural scientists and advocates emphasised the power of storytelling, community engagement, and co-designed messaging to shift public understanding of AMR and drive behaviour change.
Translating research into impact
Barriers to translation, including funding, regulation, and research silos, were candidly discussed.
Calls to action included early end-user engagement, publishing negative results, and integrating health economics into future research proposals.
Final Reflections
The symposium reinforced that tackling AMR requires complex solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and a patient-centred approach. Oxford continues to serve as a hub for pioneering research and global partnerships.
This event successfully brought together academic researchers, clinicians, industry and stakeholder groups to discuss new approaches to combat the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. The meeting featured cutting-edge research from a range of fields, and I am optimistic that links that were formed will have a lasting impact.
It was exciting to have such a diverse range of researchers coming together, covering the full spectrum from fundamental research through to colleagues on the clinical front line and crucially patient representatives. I strongly believe that it is only through building highly interdisciplinary collaborations that we can hope to tackle the urgent global challenge of AMR.
The event was organised collaboratively by the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research, Oxford AMR Network and the Beyond Antibiotics programme.
🔗 Learn more about Beyond Antibiotics here: https://beyondantibiotics.ox.ac.uk/
The Beyond Antibiotics programme grant is funded by the UKRI - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under Programme Grant Scheme EP/V026623/1.