Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance: A Mini Review

The microbiome is the genetic information which provides the blueprints and instructions for the vast array of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in and on our bodies. Ubiquitous in nature, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has existed long before the golden age of antimicrobials. While antimicrobial agents are beneficial to combat infection, their widespread use contributes to the increase in and emergence of novel resistant microbes in virtually all environmental niches. When acquired by pathogens however, AMR becomes a serious public health threat worldwide. Our ability to combat the threat of emerging resistance relies on accurate AMR detection methods and the development of therapeutics that function despite the presence of antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, microbiome, genome, resistome, metagenomics.