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The solution to the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics could be lurking somewhere in the depths of the Arctic Ocean.
The possibility that the cold waters of the far north could help resolve one of the biggest problems in modern medicine has been raised by a recent study analysing bacterial samples from the region.
The overuse of antibiotics in recent years means they're becoming less effective, with experts frantically looking for a solution.
But scientists are considering the possibility that the key could be to find new antibiotics whereby the bacteria they are intended to fight are merely inhibited in their harmful actions, rather than killed, thereby reducing the evolutionary necessity to mutate.
Given antimicrobial resistance – when bacteria are able to shake off the effects of antibiotics – claims the lives of about 1.2 million people a year, the findings could be seismic.
Dr Yannik Schneider, researcher at The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) in Tromso and one of the authors of the new study, which has just been published in Frontiers in Microbiology, described the ocean as "underexplored" as he explained why the search for new antibiotics has shifted to the seas.
During a 2020 expedition off Svalbard, an archipelago hundreds of miles north of Norway, researchers found that compounds in types of bacteria called actinobacteria collected from the Arctic Ocean appeared to be able to combat some harmful forms of E. coli.
Actinobacteria from the soil are the source of seven out of 10 current antibiotics, so those in the oceans may too yield useful substances that inhibit the effects of harmful bacteria.
Deep research
According to Dr Schneider, compared to actinobacteria in the soil, those in the sea may be the source of substances with stronger antibiotic effects.
Understanding why this may be the case relates to the purpose for which bacteria produce the compounds we use as antibiotics.
Typically, bacteria create these substances because they help them compete against other microorganisms in their environment.
However, any released into the oceans are likely to become heavily diluted, so scientists believe ocean-based actinobacteria could produce stronger substances out of necessity, to survive.
"The argument is that in the ocean, compounds need to be more active, more potent, in order to have the same effect on other organisms," Dr Schneider said.
"In the soil you have more or less a solid environment, granular or fibrous. In the ocean, you have enormous dilution."
A key part of the research involved demonstrating how advanced methods could be used to simultaneously screen hundreds of compounds from the actinobacteria for their ability to impair the action of enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). The EPEC strain analysed can cause fatal diarrhoea in young children.
One of the compounds discovered, T091-5, is seen as particularly promising because it has an antivirulence effect (meaning it impairs the E. coli's ability to cause disease) but does not have an antibacterial effect (so it does not inhibit the E. coli's growth).
This is important because should the substance from T091-5 ever be used as an antibiotic, resistance to it would be less likely to develop.
"If we target pathogenicity, we have less evolutionary pressure to develop resistance. It’s like de-arming a soldier," Dr Schneider said.
More work to do
The corresponding author of the new study, Paivi Tammela, professor of pharmaceutical biology at the University of Helsinki in Finland, cautioned that the results released so far were "very early findings" despite the initial encouragement.
"The compounds will need to be studied much more before we know whether they are good candidates for new antibiotics," she said.
The researchers in Norway, led by Prof Jeanette Anderson of UiT, are now reculturing the most interesting actinobacteria to gain larger quantities.
"[This] would allow, first of all, detailed analytical studies to characterise the compound structure, but also additional biological studies to further investigate their suitability as antibiotics," Prof Tammela said.
A constant battle
Resistant strains of bacteria are increasingly emerging to antibiotics, putting many of the advances of modern medicine at risk.
Routine surgical procedures could become far more dangerous if effective antibiotics are not available to treat infections that appear afterwards.
"It's a huge concern," said Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School.
"It can set back medical management of many standard procedures – surgical [operations], hip joints, knee joints, bowel surgery. All these things could be put into jeopardy.
"Without antibiotics, we're taking a huge step backwards in being able to manage things we've taken for granted."
While new antibiotics are one way of trying to solve the problem – albeit temporarily, as resistance is likely to develop over time – Dr Pankhania said better "antibiotic stewardship" was needed, meaning that antibiotics are not given out so readily, as is often the case.
It is also preferable if narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which target a small range of bacteria, are used instead of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Prof Lars Bjerrum, who researches issues related to the use of antibiotics at the University of Copenhagen, said part of the problem was that antibiotic resistance was a major issue in intensive-care units, but that antibiotics are typically given out by GPs in primary care settings.
"In primary care units you don't see that many patients with severe disease," he said. "Many GPs do not feel it's their business. They give antibiotics and the resistance is created. You select for resistance in primary care and ... in secondary care you have the patients with resistant strains."
One solution that has proved effective at cutting antibiotic use is giving a backup or delayed prescription, in which a prescription is given on the understanding that it will be used only if the condition does not resolve spontaneously.
Meanwhile, the researchers in Norway undertook another research expedition, this time off the coast of the mainland.
"In April we went on a smaller cruise along the Norwegian coast," Dr Schneider said, adding that work was taking place to analyse the material collected.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Company%C2%A0profile
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
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Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates
October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)
October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)
November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)
November 28-30: Dubai International Rally
January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)
March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)
April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')
