Teaching and Learning Resources: Antibiotics and AMR

Teaching and Learning Resources: Antibiotics and AMR

This section is our spotlight on teaching resources aimed for teaching about antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance at the undergraduate level. Hopefully these will be useful resources to you as you design and plan your courses. We are excited about promoting good pedagogy and sharing best practices for effective teaching about antibiotics and AMR. If there are any teaching resources that you find useful in your courses that don’t appear here, please let us know and we’ll add them to this list.

General Resources

• Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance – Microbiology Society: Microbiology Society resources on Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, including sections on what antibiotics are and the history of antibiotics
• Antibiotic resistance: A challenge for the 21st century: Microbiology Society fact file with an overview of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, including case studies
• WHO resources: World Health Organization (WHO) resources on AMR, including world antibiotic awareness week, the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, and other resources
• Antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance: Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance, including sections on biggest threats and data, laboratory resources, and various strategies for fighting AMR
• Antibiotic Prescribing and Use in Doctor’s Offices: CDC resources including patient and physician information, video/audio and social media messages

Databases and Bioinformatic resources

• The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database: resistance genes, their products, and associated phenotypes
• Resistance Map: interactive charts and maps showing data on antimicrobial use and resistance worldwide
• Antimicrobial consumption database (ESAC-Net: interactive database on antimicrobial usage (Europe)
• NCBI National Database of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms (NDARO): isolates browser, AMR reference gene catalog, and AMRFinder tools for identifying AMR genes
• antiSMASH: database for in silico identification of secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters from genomic data

Outreach/activism

• Antibiotic Action: global public awareness campaign
• Antibiotic Guardian pledge: online pledge to make better use of antibiotics
• Antibiotics Unearthed: public engagement project to discover new antibiotics from soil bacteria (Microbiology Society)
• Bash the Bug: crowd-sourcing the classification of antibiotic susceptibility data for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (CRyPTIC team, Zooniverse)
• Small World Initiative annual “Do Something About Antibiotics Challenge”: student challenge to tackle the antibiotic crisis (including 2018 challenge entries)
• World Antibiotic Awareness Week: WHO campaign for world antibiotic awareness – 18-24 November in 2019

Pedagogy

• Using a concept inventory to reveal student thinking associated with common misconceptions about antibiotic resistance: concept inventory designed to measure student understanding of key concepts (Stevens et al 2017, J. Microbiol. Biol. Educ. 18(1))

Classroom/Workshop Activities

Data analysis

• Cell Wall Structures and Antibiotic Action: review of cell wall structures and an antibiotic data analysis activity (Gabriel et al 2009, ASM curriculum archive)
• Bacterial cell envelopes and antibiotics. ]: review of cell wall structures and an antibiotic data analysis activity (Merkel 2001, ASM curriculum archive)
• Origins of Antibiotic Resistance: data analysis activity on the evolution of antibiotic resistance genes (HHMI Biointeractive)
• Virtual Interactive Bacteriology Laboratory: Antimicrobial susceptibility: Kirby-Bauer test measuring zones of inhibition and assessing antimicrobial susceptibility (Michigan State University)
• Antibiotic resistant pathogen outbreak investigation: an interdisciplinary module to teach fundamentals of evolutionary biology: analysis of sequencing data from antibiotic-resistant pathogen outbreaks (Pierce & de Man 2019, Journal of Biological Education, 53:2, 150-156)

Building models, role playing, other active learning activities

• Antibiotic activities and the central dogma, a role playing activity.: pantomime to illustrate antibiotic mechanism of action (Hampikian 1999, ASM curriculum resources)
• Building and Breaking the Cell Wall in Four Acts: A Kinesthetic and Tactile Role-Playing Exercise for Teaching Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Mechanism of Action and Resistance.: students model the cell envelope, peptidoglycan biosynthesis, beta-lactam mechanism of action, and beta-lactam resistance mechanisms (Popovich et al 2018, Journal of microbiology & biology education, 19(1), 19.1.2.)
• Genetic transfer and antibiotic resistance: students model mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer and explain the connection to antibiotic resistance and pathogenesis (Snow 2004, ASM curriculum resources)

Games

• Bacterial Survivor: An Interactive Game that Combats Misconceptions about Antibiotic Resistance: in-class game using a cardboard spinner to generate phenotypes and demonstrate evolution to antibiotic resistance (Govindan B. 2018, Journal of microbiology & biology education, 19(3), 19.3.101.)
• Drugs vs Bugs: a print-and-play board game (Célia Souque)
• A game for teaching antimicrobial mechanisms of action: board game (Valente et al 2009, Medical Teacher, 31:9, e383-e392)
• Superbugs: the game: mobile game (The Longitude Prize)

Practical laboratory exercises

• Antibiotic Resistance Genes Detection in Environmental Samples: practical for the detection of beta-lactamase genes in soil samples (Bell et al 2016, CourseSource)
• Antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli isolates.: practical for the isolation and antibiotic susceptibility testing of E. coli isolates (Woolverton and Hawkins 1999, ASM curriculum archive)
• Antimicrobial olympics: isolation and characterization of antibiotic-producing microorganisms: practical for isolating actinomycetes and fungi and testing them for the ability to produce antibiotics (Gallo 2001, ASM curriculum archive)
• Fitness of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in the Environment: A Laboratory Activity: practical for testing the fitness of isogenic antibiotic-resistant and –sensitive E. coli strains (Marvasi et al 2017 Journal of microbiology & biology education, 18(1), 18.1.15)
• Genotypic detection of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli.: a classroom exercise: PCR practical to detect ampicillin resistance (Longtin et al 2004, Journal of Biological Education, 39:1, 32-34)
• Hormones and Antibiotics in Nature: A Laboratory Module Designed to Broaden Undergraduate Perspectives on Typically Human-Centered Topics: practical labs including one for demonstrating antifungal production by Streptomyces (Weber 2014, J. Microbiol. Biol. Educ. 15(2): 277-286)
• Investigations into chemical and physical control of microorganisms.: practical testing the sensitivity of normal skin flora to household products and antibiotics (Anglehart et al 2005, ASM curriculum archive)
• Laboratory Exercises to Teach Clinically Relevant Chemistry of Antibiotics: practicals on the stability and solubility of antibiotics (El Sayed and Chelette, 2014, Am J Pharm Educ. 2014 Mar 12; 78(2): 37)
• The PARE Project: A Short Course-Based Research Project for National Surveillance of Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes in Environmental Samples: practical course involving the isolation of soil microbes on media with and without tetracycline (Genné-Bacon and Bascom-Slack 2018, J. Microbiol. Biol. Educ. 19 (3)]
• Small World Initiative: Crowdsourcing Antibiotic Discovery: a discovery-based research course for antibiotic discovery
• Using a disk diffusion assay to introduce statistical methods.: disk diffusion assay and statistical analysis of results (Lorowitz et al 2005, ASM curriculum archive)

Other Teaching Resources

Videos

• Beewolves and Streptomyces: short video on the use of antibiotic-producing Streptomyces by beewolves (Ed Yong, HHMI Biointeractive)
• Penicillin killing bacteria: short video showing penicillin killing E. coli (HHMI Biointeractive)
• The Antibiotic Apocalypse Explained: short cartoon explaining how bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance and the AMR crisis (Kurzgesagt)

*The Evolution of Bacteria on a “Mega-Plate” Petri Dish: short video showing bacteria evolving to grow in increasingly high concentrations of antibiotic (Michael Baym, HMS)

• Microbiology Techniques: Using antibiotic discs: short video showing how to use antibiotic disks (Vicki Symington and John Schollar, Microbiology Society)
• Small World Initiative Lab Diaries: playlist of SWI videos demonstrating stages of antibiotic discovery research (Microbiology Society)
• Surfer bums and antibiotic resistant bacteria: short video on drug-resistant E. coli in coastal waters (Anne Leonard, Microbiology Society)
• What is antibiotic resistance?: short cartoon explaining antibiotics and the antibiotic resistance crisis (Microbiology Society)

Podcasts/visual podcasts

• The AMR studio, a podcast series dedicated to highlighting multidisciplinary research on antimicrobial resistance (12 episodes)
• The Infinite Monkey Cage: series 17, antibiotics: podcast about the history and future of antibiotics (Brian Cox, Robin Ince, Dame Sally Davis, Martha Clokie, Chris Addison; BBC)
• Making Sense 166: The Plague Years, Sam Harris interviews Matt McCarthy (author: Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic); discussion of superbugs, the pharmaceutical industry, prescribing practices
• Superbug, super-fast evolution: visual podcast on the evolution of MRSA (Christina Burch, NESCent)
• This Week in Microbiology episode 11: TWiM 11: Chickens, antibiotics, and asthma: podcast discussion of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Genes of Escherichia coli in Chicken Meat and Humans, the Netherlands (Overdevest et al 2011) (ASM)
• This Week in Microbiology episode 188: Turducken antibiotics: podcast discussion of A Synthetic Dual Drug Sideromycin Induces Gram-Negative Bacteria To Commit Suicide with a Gram-Positive Antibiotic (Liu et al 2018) (ASM)
• What happens when antibiotics no longer work?: podcast discussion of potential post-antibiotic futures (The Economist)

Longer lectures

• An introduction to polyketide assembly lines: identification of gene clusters, heterologous expression, specificity of the assembly lines (Chaitan Khosla, iBiology)
• Engineering Microbes to Solve Global Challenges: discussion of engineering microbes to produce fuels, chemicals and drugs (Jay Keasling, iBiology)
• Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers: lecture on Streptomyces, antibiotics, and the soil (David Hopwood, lecture at Oxford Botanic Gardens)
• Synthetic Biology for the Development of New Antibiotics: identifying novel antibiotic biosynthetic pathways (Eriko Takano, iBiology)
• Treatment of Tuberculosis, A Persistent Threat to Global Health: overview of Tb infections and the challenges facing vaccine and drug development (John McKinney, iBiology)

News stories/blogs

• A Woman Was Killed by a Superbug Resistant to All 26 American Antibiotics: news story about a colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia strain (Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, January 13, 2017)
• How Do Hospitals Stop the Spread of Drug-Resistant Superbugs Like C. Auris?: news story about hospital decontamination (Molly Olmstead, Slate, April 12, 2019)
• Hunting for Antibiotics in the World’s Dirtiest Places: news story about Adam Roberts’ Swab and Send campaign (Maryn McKenna, The Atlantic, July/August, 2017)
• 7 Peculiar Places To Look For The Next Wave Of Antibiotics: blog article about hunting for new antibiotics (Sheldon Paquin, Science Museum)
• stories about antibiotic resistance: a collection of news stories centred on the topic (National Public Radio)

Books about antibiotics and AMR

• The Drugs Don't Work: A Global Threat by Sally Davies (Penguin, 2013)
• Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers by David A. Hopwood (Oxford University Press, 2007)
• The Microbes Fight Back: Antibiotic Resistance by Laura Bowater (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2017)

Art and culture

• Alexander Fleming’s Germ Art: article on Fleming’s microbial art (Rob Dunn, Smithsonian)
• Antibiotic Apocalypse: short film using dance and martial arts to explain antibiotic resistance (Game Dr)
• Dr Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet: movie about Dr Ehrlich and the discovery of salvarsan (IMDB page)
• Gut Flora: art exhibit on the interactions between gut flora and antibiotics (Nicola Fawcett and Chris Wood)
• Thanks to Penicillin: Advertisement for penicillin production from Life magazine, August 14, 1944
• Make Do and Mend: art exhibit aimed at raising awareness about the development of antibiotic resistance (Anna Dumitriu)

Wellcome library collection: Anti-bacterial agents: historical film clips, adverts, etc.

Fiction

• The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crighton, 1969
• Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis, 1925
• Catch: short film set in a post-antibiotic world
• Infectious Futures: Six short stories about a post-antibiotic era, (Longitude Prize)
• Resistance: radio 4 drama by Val McDermid (BBC)
• Surgeon X: comic book series set in an antibiotic apocalypse
  • reviewed from a teaching perspective by Smith (2017) in JMBE

Other

• #EUROmicroMOOC: an online open-access microbiology course delivered by Twitter, including modules on:
  • Antibiotic production (@ClaessenLAB)
  • Antimicrobial resistance (@SmitsLab)
  • Bacteriophages (@MicroMol_Lab)
  • Microbial synthetic biology (@krisnino86)
  • Industrial microbiology (@ManoloSanchezA)