Beyond Antibiotics: Translation and Impact Research Symposium 2025 – Driving Innovation, Stewardship & Translation

On June 11 – 12, global experts convened in Oxford for the Beyond Antibiotics: Translation and Impact Research Symposium 2025, a dynamic two-day event exploring the future of infections that are difficult to treat with therapeutics beyond traditional antibiotics.

Key themes included: 

Rethinking Antibiotic Use
Prof. Angela Huttner’s keynote challenged conventional treatment durations for bloodstream infections, advocating for shorter, safer regimens.
Clinical insights revealed that up to 1/3 of UTIs can resolve without antibiotics, underscoring the need for better diagnostics and stewardship.

Innovations in Diagnostics & Therapeutics
From portable UTI point-of-care tests (Llusern Scientific) to antibiofilm wound dressings (Convatec), industry leaders showcased translational breakthroughs.
The Beyond Antibiotics programme grant introduced research on novel drug-free therapy approaches using microbubbles, ultrasound, and organoid models to combat biofilms and resistance.

Global & Community Perspectives
Discussions spanned antifungal resistance, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in lower- and middle-income countries, and the importance of patient voices in shaping care.
Behavioural scientists and advocates emphasized the power of storytelling, community engagement, and co-designed messaging to shift public understanding of AMR and drive behaviour change.

Translating Research into Impact
Barriers to translation, including funding, regulation, and research silos, were candidly discussed.
Calls to action included early end-user engagement, publishing negative results, and integrating health economics into future research proposals.

Final Reflections
The symposium reinforced that tackling AMR requires complex solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and a patient-centred approach. Oxford continues to serve as a hub for pioneering research and global partnerships.

Prof Eleanor Stride OBE FREng HonFIET PhD BEng, Statutory Professor of Biomaterials at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford and Principal Investigator of the Beyond Antibiotics Programme Grant highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations, " It was really exciting to have such a diverse range of researchers coming together, covering the full spectrum from fundamental research through to colleagues on the clinical front line and crucially patient representatives. I strongly believe that it is only through building highly interdisciplinary collaborations that we can hope to tackle the urgent global challenge of AMR." 

A delegate shared following the event, “Thank you very much to everyone who bought this together. An incredibly valuable event that will no doubt lead to collaborations and inspiration! Having free events is crucial for people like me, who struggle to get funding to attend conferences […].”

The event was organised by the Beyond Antibiotics programme grant in collaboration with the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research. The Beyond Antibiotics programme grant is funded by the UKRI - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under Programme Grant Scheme EP/V026623/1.