Antibiotic resistance and the quest for discovery – Professor Mathew Upton

The University of Plymouth is proud to present the Inaugural Professorial Lecture of Professor Mathew Upton.

Antibiotics have been essential to modern medicine for the past 70 years, but efforts to discover new ones have diminished since the 1960s. Now predictions indicate that by 2050, 10 million people per year will die from antibiotic resistant infections, igniting a new urgency to tackle this global crisis.

Professor of Medical Microbiology, Mathew Upton, is a rising star in the field of antimicrobial resistance, dedicating his work to discovering potential sources for antimicrobials that can be turned into the new classes of antibiotic; there have been no new classes of antibiotic introduced into clinical use in the last 30 years. His research has explored the extremes of the Earth, from early work leading him to Antarctica and more recent investigations looking to the deep-sea.

In this insightful lecture Mathew reflects on his extensive research in the field of microbiology, from his first spark of interest in studying antimicrobial resistance, to creating the Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens Research Group, to the launch of his spinout company Amprologix.

Amprologix is the culmination of uniting his expertise with industrial partner Ingenza Ltd, to convert his antimicrobial discoveries into new antibiotics that could one day be distributed globally. With a potential new antibiotic already on the horizon for Amprologix, this lecture presents a unique opportunity to hear the latest research in this frontier of medical science.

You are welcome to join us for University of Plymouth's Inaugural Professorial Lecture series, which provide a milestone event in a professorial career. Through these we can promote and celebrate the academic reputation and achievements within their research.

This event is open to the public and free to attend. This is a hybrid-delivery event, meaning there will be some limited, socially-distanced seating available for in-person attendance or alternatively you can participate in the event live using Zoom.