About CeSAM

The Centre for Sustainable Antimicrobials (CeSAM) comprises multidisciplinary research projects and advanced facilities for fundamental research as well as high-throughput (animal) testing and adequate patient-screening facilities. A dedicated clinical trial phase I facility for studying novel antibiotics will be established in the near future. The overarching goal of this joint research initiative lies in interdisciplinary basic and translational research to develop novel antibiotics and therapeutic (so-called theragnostic) concepts to fight resistant bacterial strains, simultaneously allowing sustainable prevention of resistance development and spreading.

The scientific challenge is to develop novel intelligent antimicrobials to combat antibiotic resistant species, which will be pursued throughout the production pipeline to complete phase I clinical trials. The research includes the full understanding of antibiotic resistance as well as development of novel technological approaches, and will create excellent opportunities for subsequent applications for instance via start-ups or intensive collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to further develop the products.

The clinical challenge is to develop innovative solutions for personalized on demand theragnostic strategies based on existing and novel antibiotics to optimize treatment and to prevent both health-care associated infections due to AMR and spreading of resistant strains. This also includes development of rapid diagnostics, infection site-targeted formulation, and real-time stewardship during the time of treatment.

The solutions that CeSAM aims to provide are:

  • the comprehensive understanding of antimicrobial resistance of eminent pathogens (i.e. ESKAPE organisms, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and their epidemiology,
  • development of fully characterized and successfully tested (phase I) new and smart antibiotics, strategies for the prudent use of antibiotics to prevent increased antimicrobial resistance
  • establishment of combined rapid diagnostics and patient-based treatment (i.e. personalized theragnostics).