{"id":1050,"date":"2026-01-11T12:59:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T12:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fund.southampton.ac.uk\/innovation\/?page_id=1050"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T09:44:20","slug":"infection","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fund.southampton.ac.uk\/innovation\/infection\/","title":{"rendered":"Where we limit the spread of infection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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   WHERE WE
      MINIMI<\/mark>SE


THE
SPREAD OF
      INFECTION<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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WHERE WE
    MINIMI<\/mark>SE


THE
SPREAD OF
       INFECTION<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is reducing the effectiveness of life-saving antibiotics.
Support us to find better ways to diagnose and treat infection, before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10M<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tens of millions of deaths occur annually due to infectious diseases, highlighting their ongoing contribution to global mortality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2050<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antimicrobial resistance is predicted to cause as many deaths as cancer by 2050.
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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20%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antibiotic-resistant infections in England have increased by around 20 per cent in recent years, driving a rise in preventable deaths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Are we heading towards a medical emergency?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Antibiotics and vaccines have saved billions of lives since their invention. Without them, our lifespans would be dramatically reduced, and we would see loved ones dying of preventable and treatable diseases. However, we are now facing a major, potentially catastrophic, new problem – antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, are becoming increasingly hard to treat with conventional medicines, such as antibiotics. As they become more and more exposed to medicines, they are more likely to become resistant towards them. This means it\u2019s harder to treat common infections like UTIs, and to perform life-saving procedures including cancer chemotherapy, caesarean section, hip replacements and other surgeries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to make the diagnosis and treatment of disease more precise. It is vital that the right drugs are administered promptly and at the right dosages, so that diseases do not survive and build up resistance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is reducing the effectiveness of life-saving antibiotics.
Support us to find better ways to diagnose and treat infection, before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

10 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tens of millions of deaths occur annually due to infectious diseases, highlighting their ongoing contribution to global mortality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

2050<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antimicrobial resistance is predicted to cause as many deaths as cancer by 2050.
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

20%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antibiotic-resistant infections in England have increased by around 20 per cent in recent years, driving a rise in preventable deaths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Are we heading towards a medical emergency?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Antibiotics and vaccines have saved billions of lives since their invention. Without them, our lifespans would be dramatically reduced, and we would see loved ones dying of preventable and treatable diseases. However, we are now facing a major, potentially catastrophic, new problem – antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, are becoming increasingly hard to treat with conventional medicines, such as antibiotics. As they become more and more exposed to medicines, they are more likely to become resistant towards them. This means it\u2019s harder to treat common infections like UTIs, and to perform life-saving procedures including cancer chemotherapy, caesarean section, hip replacements and other surgeries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to make the diagnosis and treatment of disease more precise. It is vital that the right drugs are administered promptly and at the right dosages, so that diseases do not survive and build up resistance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

RESPONDING TO THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE AT SOUTHAMPTON<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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RESPONDING TO THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE AT SOUTHAMPTON<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the University of Southampton, we are working hard to improve the way we respond to infection. Our strategy focuses on faster and more accurate ways of diagnosing disease<\/strong>, novel ways of vaccinating<\/strong> and revolutionary treatments <\/strong>for infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are also proud to lead the National Biofilms Innovation Centre. Biofilms are communities of organisms that form a super strong infection and are very difficult to treat. They are particularly common after surgeries where a prosthetic or implant is fitted, such as hip replacements, and can go on to cause diseases like sepsis. Our research is finding new ways to infiltrate and destroy these infections. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During COVID-19<\/strong> we conducted vaccine trials,<\/strong> pioneered saliva testing for asymptomatic cases, and enabled rapid point-of-care testing <\/strong>to reduce diagnosis time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our engineers have created a new device, iFAST, to determine which antibiotic is needed<\/strong> to treat an infection within hours, instead of days. This will treat patients faster and also reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Professors<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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THE IMI WILL ADVANCE INFECTION RESEARCH<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With your help, the IMI will give us the environment, tools and ways of working we need to tackle the big issues facing the world today. Your generous donation will help us bring together the best facilities, including hybrid bioengineering labs, the largest biomedical imaging suite on the south coast, and an impressive digital infrastructure, in order to bring about breakthroughs faster than ever before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IMI will help us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harness the power of data to fight infectious diseases<\/strong> \u2013 medics will work alongside data analysts and informaticians to turn data into powerful insights into the nature of infections, and how they can be treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prevent infections by novel ways of vaccinating<\/strong> \u2013 we will advance our work in therapy and immunology, using friendly bacteria to train the immune system to prevent infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Produce accurate and rapid diagnostic techniques <\/strong>\u2013 we will find better and faster tests: imagine a world where a saliva test could identify everything a doctor needs to know about a patient\u2019s infection and what to prescribe to fight it off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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THE IMI WILL ADVANCE INFECTION RESEARCH<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With your help, the IMI will give us the environment, tools and ways of working we need to tackle the big issues facing the world today. Your generous donation will help us bring together the best facilities, including hybrid bioengineering labs, the largest biomedical imaging suite on the south coast, and an impressive digital infrastructure, in order to bring about breakthroughs faster than ever before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IMI will help us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harness the power of data to fight infectious diseases<\/strong> \u2013 medics will work alongside data analysts and informaticians to turn data into powerful insights into the nature of infections, and how they can be treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prevent infections by novel ways of vaccinating<\/strong> \u2013 we will advance our work in therapy and immunology, using friendly bacteria to train the immune system to prevent infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Produce accurate and rapid diagnostic techniques <\/strong>\u2013 we will find better and faster tests: imagine a world where a saliva test could identify everything a doctor needs to know about a patient\u2019s infection and what to prescribe to fight it off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Becca’s Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Watch the powerful story of Becca, a University of Southampton student. During her first term in 2018, Becca contracted meningitis and sepsis, leading to multiple amputations, including both legs and her right hand. Her resilience and advocacy for vaccination and organ donation offer a personal lens into the real-world impact of infectious diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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