Three universities will partner to lead a new national institute on antimicrobial resistance.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and its medical center, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa were selected to head up the new Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education. The institute will be jointly funded by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Iowa State at a combined $525,000 per year for three years ($1.575 million total).
Each year in the U.S., at least 2 million people are sickened from bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and 23,000 people die from those infections. Many more die from other conditions complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections from drug-resistant “superbugs” result in an estimated $20 billion a year in direct health care costs and up to $35 billion in lost productivity from hospitalizations and sick days.
“Antimicrobials are critically important tools for maintaining human, animal and crop health,” said Mike Boehm, University of Nebraska vice president and Harlan Vice Chancellor for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“This new institute will accelerate discoveries and engage producers in new and impactful ways that will enhance the stewardship and prolong the shelf life of these disease-prevention tools. The establishment of this institute is a big deal and we are excited about this next chapter of our partnership with our colleagues from Iowa, the industry and beyond,” Boehm said.
