Developing diagnostic tools is critical for the reduction of antibiotic resistance. Effective diagnostics could reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, which are a major factor in developing superbugs. However, pharmaceutical funding models do not motivate private sector companies to invest in areas like diagnostics or research into new antibiotics, though this is work is desperately needed.

The Longitude Prize was established by the UK government in 2014 as a £10 million prize for anyone who could effectively address the problem of antibiotic resistance by creating a diagnostic tool that was easy to use, cheap to produce, and delivers a diagnosis in 30 minutes. This prize-based funding model has generated more than 250 submissions from 41 countries around the world.

At time of writing, the prize had not yet been awarded. The final submission deadline is September 2019, and a winner would be declared four months after this date. There are several teams very close to success, and it is worth investigating the status of the competition. If a winner is awarded, it is recommended that you include a prototype of the diagnostic tool in your display.

• Bacteria are adapting to resist antibiotics critical to modern healthcare, meaning we can no longer destroy certain infections.
• Developing resistance to antibiotics is a natural evolutionary process for bacteria, but humanity’s overuse and misuse of antibiotics accelerates the process.
• Antibiotic resistance affects us all in many unexpected ways, from the food we eat to receiving prescriptions.