One of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the twentieth century is set to become one of the biggest threats of the twenty-first - but what can be done to stem the rising tide of antibiotic resistance?
In this episode, host Caroline Dodds Pennock speaks with Liam Shaw, biologist and author of Dangerous Miracle: A Natural History of Antibiotics – and How We Burned Through Them. From the miraculous discovery of penicillin to the industrial-scale production that changed healthcare and agriculture forever, Shaw takes us through the fascinating - and cautionary - story of these ‘fossil fuels of medicine.’ Together, they explore when and how the threat of resistance emerged, the roles of Big Pharma and industrial farming in accelerating the crisis, and the parallels with climate change in how we’ve squandered a finite resource.
But as MIT researchers recently announced a breakthrough with AI designing antibiotics for gonorrhoea and MRSA superbugs, Shaw also outlines clear roadmaps for the future - including bold proposals for transforming the way we develop, patent and pay for antibiotics.
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