Author: Catriona Baker

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) fighting a punchbag representing antibiotics by a previous winner, Marni (age 9)

This week is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18th–24th November)! To celebrate and raise awareness, we invite you to participate in our exciting art competition, Microbes vs Medicine. Open to all ages, this competition highlights the fascinating interplay between the invisible world of microbes and the power of medicine while addressing the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance.

Why Antimicrobial Awareness Matters

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern where bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to the medicines designed to combat them. This means life-saving treatments like antibiotics may become less effective, putting millions of lives at risk. Through this competition, part of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, we aim to spread knowledge about AMR and inspire action toward its responsible management.

We want to see your creative interpretation of the relationship between microbes and medicine. Your artwork could depict the battle, harmony, or interplay between these forces, emphasizing the importance of understanding and combating AMR.

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About the Competition

This art competition is proudly hosted by the Modernising Medical Microbiology group at the University of Oxford as part of our public engagement project, Bash the Bug. Dedicated to raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance through education and community involvement, Bash the Bug invites you to explore science through art!

This initiative is inspired by a previous winner, Marni (age 9), who created the imaginative depiction of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) fighting a punchbag representing antibiotics shown above. This artwork exemplifies how creativity can make complex issues like AMR accessible and engaging.

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Prizes and Recognition

Winning entries will receive special prizes and will be featured in our online gallery for all to admire.

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How to Enter

Submit your artwork by 20th December to bashthebug@gmail.com with your name and age.

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We can’t wait to see how your creativity brings Microbes vs Medicine to life. Let’s spread awareness and inspire change together!

Join Our Microbe Drawing Competition and Win a Cuddly Toy! 🦠🎨

We are thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for budding young scientists and artists alike! Our Microbe Drawing Competition is now open, and we are inviting participants of all ages to get creative and learn about the fascinating world of microbiology. Hosted by our team at Oxford University’s Modernising Medical Microbiology, this competition offers a fun and educational way to engage with science.

How to Enter:
To participate, simply draw a microbe or design your own imaginative version! Once your masterpiece is ready, send it along with your name/initials, the microbe’s name, and your age to @bashthebug on Instagram or email us at crookpm@ndm.ox.ac.uk. Make sure to submit your entries by June 30th, 2024.

Quick Facts About Our Bugs Up for Grabs 🦠🔍:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa: This microbe is known for its striking blue or green color under the microscope!
• Escherichia coli: While some strains can cause food poisoning, most E. coli are harmless and live in your intestines, helping with digestion.
• MRSA: This germ is so resistant to antibiotics it is considered a ‘superbug’ (hence the cape!).

This competition is a fantastic way to spark interest in microbiology and science. Whether you’re a parent looking for a fun educational activity for your child or a teacher seeking engaging science content for your students, this drawing competition is the perfect opportunity.

We can’t wait to see all the creative and colorful entries! Your support and participation mean the world to us, and we look forward to sharing the wonderful artwork with our community.

Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X (@bashthebug) for the latest news and announcements.

Happy drawing! 🦠🔍

By Teresa Street, Senior Research Scientist

In October 2023 I travelled to Harare, in Zimbabwe, to teach a team of scientists how to genome sequence SARS-CoV-2 using Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing. The team were taking part in a study to observe COVID infections in Zimbabwe and had a collection of over 600 samples they were keen to sequence.

I spent a week at Professor Tariro Makadzange’s Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory (part of the Charles River Medical Group), teaching the team how to prepare samples and analyse data using the Global Pathogen Analysis Service (GPAS).

I’m so grateful I got to experience scientific research outside the UK, and I couldn’t have spent the week with a friendlier, more welcoming group of people. My time in Harare also really made me appreciate the facilities we have and the things we take for granted. We don’t have thunder and lightning storms so powerful they regularly knock out our power for hours at a time; nor do we have labs that leak under the sheer volume of rain that falls. We also take our superfast Wi-Fi for granted: trying to download software and upload data at 2Mb/sec is frustrating, to say the least!

This collaboration would have seriously struggled to achieve all it did in such a short space of time without the help of Bede Constantinides. He made himself available from back home for the whole week to hold our hands through setting up the computing and guiding us through the analysis, so that I could leave the team fully self-sufficient for all their future work.

I’m pleased to report the team have now finished sequencing their 600+ sample collection and are now using ONT sequencing for other studies.

Zimbabwe is an incredible country with fantastic people, and I really hope I have the opportunity to visit again one day!