Editorial: Advanced technologies in bioengineering to fight antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

The rise in antibiotic resistance has become a global health crisis, claiming millions of lives annually (Murray et al., 2022). It is essential to counter this threat by developing new therapeutic regimes that address the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the reduction in the spread of resistance genes or high-risk clones carrying these genetic mechanisms. The fight against antibiotic resistance is becoming an increasingly interdisciplinary effort, involving not only the discovery and synthesis of new drugs and treatments, such as antimicrobial peptides, phage therapy and phage endolysins (Lin et al., 2017), and gene editing with CRISPR/Cas systems (Bikard et al., 2014) but also the integration of these treatments into wider healthcare programs. Microbiological and evolutionary insights are also crucial for informing clinical interventions (e.g., optimization of microbial growth conditions and the use of collateral sensitivity Herencias et al., 2021). Success in this struggle against antibiotic resistance requires close collaboration among scientists, engineers, and healthcare practitioners. This Research Topic includes six research contributions highlighting the diversity and latest innovations in microbiology and biotechnology, covering areas ranging from optimizing microbial growth to engineering innovative solutions for infectious diseases.