Bacteriophages - the new antibiotics to treat infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria

Title: Bacteriophages - the new antibiotics to treat infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Speaker: Dr Dinesh Subedi (Monash University)

Time/Date: 1-2pm Friday 18 October 2024

Location: On-campus (Location TBA) and via Zoom:

https://unsw.zoom.us/j/83023210928?pwd=c2tBL2lsdFJMQldaTjNiT09DRVhTQT09

Abstract: Bacteriophages, viruses that kill bacteria, were discovered before antibiotics such as penicillin and were used to treat diseases. Their use was largely replaced once penicillin and other antibiotics become widely available, except in some member states of the former USSR. However, with the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria, use of bacteriophages is re-emerging. Dr Subedi has been working in this area as a post-doc at Monash University since 2019. He has designed bacteriophages to treat infections caused by many bacteria, but particularly infections caused by members of the Enterobacter cloacae complex. He will present his research in this area and discuss the future use of bacteriophages.

Bio: Dr Subedi received an MSc from Tribhuvan University, Nepal in 2008 on "Bacteriological profile of neonatal septicaemia”. In 2015 he enrolled in a PhD at SOVS UNSW in "Mechanism of Antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa”, and he submitted his PhD in August 2019. Since then, he has been doing postdoctoral research at the Monash University in Melbourne where is studies the use of bacteriophages to treat serious life threatening infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria.