Last month we successfully delivered our 4th Phage Workshop in Africa, this one delivered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Through this 2-week laboratory training workshop we trained another cohort of 25 scientists how to isolate and begin to develop phages that can be used to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

I received a call this week from a colleague telling me about outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients occurring in US hospitals. Thankfully, with emergency approval from the US FDA, phages have already been used to treat several of those.

We are deeply saddened by the lives lost in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and our hearts go out to the families worldwide who are impacted.
This crisis has highlighted how an infectious disease outbreak in one region can quickly spread globally, especially when no effective drugs are available.

We are pleased to announce that we have won a grant from the Mozilla Foundation that will enable us to put some of our phage workshop teaching materials online! During this time when we are unable to deliver in-person workshops due to the coronavirus pandemic, this online resource should be especially valuable for those wishing to use phages to combat the antibiotic resistance crisis.

Our work to address the antibiotic resistance crisis in developing countries has recently been highlighted in newspaper articles in The Guardian (from the UK) and Le Courrier (from Switzerland — available in both French and English). We think you'll enjoy reading these and seeing how far we've been able to progress with your support.