The 2009 Garrod Lecture: The evolution of antimicrobial resistance: A Darwinian perspective

48Citations
Citations of this article
190Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Microbes have evolved over 3.5 billion years and are arguably the most adaptable organisms on earth. Restricted genetically by their inability to reproduce sexually, bacteria have acquired several additional mechanisms by which to exchange genetic material horizontally. Such mechanisms have allowed bacteria to inhabit some of the most inhospitable environments on earth. It is thus hardly surprising that when faced with a barrage of inimical chemicals (antibiotics) they have responded with an equal and opposite force. This article compares and contrasts the evolution of antimicrobial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics over the last 70 years in two bacterial species, namely Staphylococcus aureus, a highly evolved human pathogen, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Sykes, R. (2010). The 2009 Garrod Lecture: The evolution of antimicrobial resistance: A Darwinian perspective. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 65(9), 1842–1852. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkq217

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free