CIB Margarita Salas researchers participate in the coordination of the reports on antibiotics and plastics within the CSIC Science4Policy collection.

The CSIC has presented its new collection of reports “Science4Policy” in an event held on Wednesday, June 28 at 11:00h. Auxiliadora Prieto and Jesús M. Sanz, researchers from the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), participate in the coordination of the reports "Combating plastic pollution" and "Bacterial resistance to antibiotics", respectively, which were presented at this event.

The Science4Policy collection seeks to bring together solid scientific evidence around current scientific and social issues focused on food and sustainability, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, science for policy, forest fires, energy and droughts, and plastic pollution. Science4policy aims to transfer the knowledge generated at CSIC to society in general, with particular emphasis on politicians at all levels of public administration, and thus help decision-making on public problems.

The reports are divided into three main sections that present the problem and what science knows about it, summarize the most important research lines developed by CSIC institutes, and provide conclusions and recommendations for improvement and action based on evidence, from the expert view of scientists.

Jesús M. Sanz participates in the coordination of the report "Bacterial resistance to antibiotics", together with Pilar García (IPLA), Daniel López (CNB), Álvaro San Millán (CNB), and Juan A. Hermoso (IQF). The document explains basic concepts on the growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. This problem could lead to an era in which bacteria may become multidrug-resistant and infections become untreatable as our arsenal of antimicrobials is exhausted. The main impacts on ecosystems are listed and research by CSIC groups is summarized, ranging from the study of resistance mechanisms to the development of new antibiotics using the latest technologies. Among them, the lines of study developed by the Laboratory of protein engineering against antimicrobial resistance at the CIB are highlighted, focusing on bacterial surface proteins as targets for new antibiotics, as well as the use of nanotechnology to increase their antimicrobial power. This report is also the basis for the application of a CSIC Connection ("Antimicrobial Resistance Connection") that involves more than 250 researchers and is in the process of evaluation.

Auxiliadora Prieto contributes to the report "Combating Plastic Pollution", in collaboration with Juan Rodríguez Hernández (ICTP), Cinta Porte Visa (IDAEA), and Amparo López-Rubio (IATA). The report summarizes the activities of the Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform (ITP) Susplast (Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy), to which the four researchers belong. The ITP SusPlast, coordinated by Prof. Prieto, aims to transform the procedures for designing, producing, using, and recycling plastics towards a circular economy. To this end, it proposes a synergistic approach involving material science and biotechnology, in order to develop research and innovation activities, as well as socio-educational strategies to implement plastic management based on the circular economy.

The first eight reports developed within this collection are the following: Science for Policy, Forest Fires, Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics, Producing Food without Depleting the Planet, How to Ensure a Safe, Efficient and Clean Energy System, Droughts, Combating Plastic Pollution and Sustainable, and Healthy Nutrition.

More info and links to download the reports can be found here (in Spanish).