Appraising the role of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in diagnostic microbiology, including developing it as a tool to perform molecular typing of key HCAI pathogens
End of project summary:
This clinical research time award provided funding to allow dedicated time for Dr Lim Jones to develop research into drug resistant bacterial infections. Dr Jones has a special interest in the diagnosis, treatment and control of infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria. He is clinical lead for a specialist laboratory which provides microbiology support for clinical research trials and provides specialist testing of resistant bacteria for diagnostic laboratories in Wales. He is involved in a Public Health Wales project to develop sequencing of whole bacterial genomes to support investigations of outbreaks of resistant bacteria in hospitals and track and understand the spread of some key bacteria of public health concern across Wales. He is also involved in international collaborations which investigate the burden, spread and clinical impact of antibiotic resistant bacteria in Low and Middle-Income Countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic had important consequences for programs intended to control infections with resistant bacteria and ensure rational use of antibiotics. In 2021 Dr Jones led a successful funding bid to study these impacts on infections and their treatment on intensive care units in Wales. He is also leading on collecting data from Cardiff for an international study which will look at changes in outcomes and investigation of bacterial infections for patients with lung and infections sepsis, both with and without COVID-19.
Dr Jones has been involved in publication of number of original research articles during the time of this research award. These have included reports on emergence of concerning causes of antibiotic resistance bacteria causing infections in patients from Bangladesh, and descriptions of outbreaks with resistant bacteria in that country. He was a clinical advisor for an important study looking at burden of antibiotic resistant infections in neonates in Low and Middle-Income Countries and the effect of antibiotic resistance on response to treatment. Dr Jones is currently working with colleagues on publishing data relating to surveillance of drug resistant bacteria in Wales, using genome sequencing as a tool to predict resistance, and looking at the burden of some of the most drug resistant bacteria across the UK, and the impact those infections have on treatment and patient outcomes.