Antibiotics: From Miracle Drugs to Superbugs

Catalog description

Antibiotics have been essential drugs for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections for over 100 years. The mass production of penicillin around World War II led to the belief that antibiotics were "miracle drugs," saving thousands of lives. However, widespread use of antibiotics - both intentional and somewhat inadvertent - have led to a significant problem: the rise of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs," some of which are now essentially untreatable using conventional methods. In this communication-intensive course, students will gain an understanding of the science behind how antibiotics work and how bacteria have become resistant using a global lens. (As we have all too recently seen, a pandemic will reach all parts of the world and is likely to affect different nations and areas differently.) We will also examine the economics and business behind antibiotics and other therapeutic options, thus clarifying why the pursuit of antibiotics is often a daunting financial proposition. Students will select a bacterium identified by the World Health Organization as a priority threat and argue for the design and development of a new treatment to combat disease caused by that organism. Counts as a Communication Intensive course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course. Prereq: Academic Inquiry Seminar (AIQS).