Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is when microbes are resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents used to treat infection or as an antiseptic. Resistance is either innate or acquired – referring to whether the resistance is newly developed or has always been present in an organism.

Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance

• The inactivation or modification of the antibiotic;
• An alteration in the target site of the antibiotic that reduces its binding capacity;
• The modification of metabolic pathways to circumvent the antibiotic effect;
• The reduced intracellular antibiotic accumulation by decreasing permeability and/or increasing active efflux of the antibiotic.

As resistance to antibiotics becomes more common, a greater need for alternative treatments arises. 

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