Watson Lecture - Smruthi Karthikeyan: The Secret Life of Superbugs: How Antimicrobial Resistance Moves Between Humans and the Environment

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global health crisis, is driven not only by clinical misuse of antibiotics but also by widespread reservoirs of resistance genes within environmental microbial communities. So far, almost all antibiotic classes used by doctors have been met by resistance from at least some of the infection-causing pathogens they aim to fight. This indicates that external environments already harbor resistance factors for all developed antibiotics. While researchers who study drug-resistant pathogens have historically focused on hospitals and healthcare settings, antibiotic resistance genes are present in a wide range of environments, including the human gut, wastewater, and natural ecosystems with no prior history of human influence. These environmental sources can serve as reservoirs for resistance genes, which can in turn be acquired by pathogens, accelerating the spread of multidrug resistance and complicating treatment strategies.

In this talk, Smruthi Karthikeyan, Gordon and Carol Treweek Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and William H. Hurt Scholar, will discuss how antimicrobial resistance genes can "jump" across species in natural microbial communities, and how looking at our sewers can provide clues for developing therapeutics to combat the AMR crisis.

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Evening Schedule

6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food, drinks, and books available for purchase

7 p.m. — Doors open

7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&A

8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conversation

The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.

About the Series

For more than 100 years, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.

Free and open to the public, the Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food, drink and music, as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.

Many past Watson Lectures are available on YouTube.

For more information, please contact The Caltech Ticket Office by email at events@caltech.edu.