Rutgers University is among the grantees to share in $14 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to pursue new approaches to combat antibiotic resistance, the CDC announced.

The awards support activities in the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative. The initiative, which also provides funding for state health departments and other partners, implements the tracking, prevention and antibiotic stewardship activities outlined in the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

The initiative will include research on how microorganisms naturally present in the body – the microbiome – can be used to predict and prevent infections caused by drug-resistant organisms.

“Understanding the role the microbiome plays in antibiotic-resistant infections is necessary to protect the public’s health,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD. “We think it is key to innovative approaches to combat antibiotic resistance, protect patients and improve antibiotic use.”

The awards will fund research exploring the link between antibiotics, the microbiome and the downstream consequences of widespread antibiotic use. Research projects will explore three main areas:

• How antibiotics disrupt a healthy microbiome
• How a disrupted microbiome puts people at risk
• How antibiotic stewardship can be improved to better protect the microbiome.