PACE and the UK Health Security Agency have launched five standardised antimicrobial resistance strain panels designed to help researchers evaluate new therapeutics and diagnostics against contemporary resistance patterns.
PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have released five new antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strain panels, giving researchers worldwide access to contemporary bacterial isolates that reflect resistance patterns seen in clinical settings.
The resource aims to address a longstanding challenge in AMR research. Resistance mechanisms continually evolve, meaning older reference strains may not accurately represent the bacteria that new diagnostics and therapeutics will encounter in clinical use.
Developed through a collaboration between PACE, UKHSA and its Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections reference unit, the five panels comprise 145 bacterial strains isolated within the last five years.
The collection covers priority Gram-negative pathogens and clinically important infections, including urinary tract, bloodstream and lower respiratory tract infections. Although originating in the UK, strains were selected to represent major resistance mechanisms encountered globally.
Researchers can use the standardised panels to assess new antimicrobial compounds and diagnostic technologies against a diverse and well-characterised collection of bacteria. Each strain is supported by detailed information including antibiotic susceptibility profiles, whole-genome sequences, resistance genes and isolation data.
Dr Beverley Isherwood, Strategy Leader – Infectious Diseases at Medicines Discovery Catapult and PACE Programme Director, said access to consistent, contemporary strain panels has been a particular challenge for smaller AMR companies without the resources to secure suitable collections independently.
The panels are already being used to evaluate antimicrobial assets in PACE-funded projects, and an academic paper describing their development is also planned.
The five panels are now available through UKHSA's National Collection of Type Cultures, where researchers can purchase either individual bacterial isolates or complete panels.
