As a new intern working in the Governor of California’s office you’ve been assigned to assist a task force that has been created to evaluate and assess solutions to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. You’ve been asked to create a research brief that will be presented to the task force to help them create a plan to stem the spread of antibiotic resistance.

The Problem with Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Humans have been extensively using antibiotics to treat bacterial infections since their discovery. They have saved millions, if not billions, of people from life threatening bacterial infections. This powerful treatment isn’t without its downfall, though, as antibiotic resistant bacterial strains are becoming more common. According to the CDC (Links to an external site.), “at 2.8 million people get an antibiotic resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die” in the U.S. alone. In fact, Sir Alexander Flemming, who discovered the first antibiotic, foresaw their misuse leading to antibiotic resistant bacteria. In an interview after winning the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, Flemming gave this dire warning (Links to an external site.): “The thoughtless person playing with penicillin treatment is morally responsible for the death of the man who succumbs to infection with the penicillin-resistant organism.”

Your mission

As a new intern working in the Governor of California’s office you’ve been assigned to assist a task force that has been created to evaluate and assess solutions to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. You’ve been asked to create a research brief that will be presented to the task force to help them create a plan to stem the spread of antibiotic resistance.

1. The defining characteristics of bacteria
2. How bacteria become resistant to antibiotics
3. The causes and conditions that have lead to the rise of antibiotic resistance
4. The risks and extent of antibiotic resistance in the U.S and around the world
5. Evaluation of currently recommended potential solutions to slow and combat the rise of antibiotic resistance

What needs to be included & specifics

You can present your brief as a multimedia project of your choice. Use your strengths and creativity to create a professional and informative presentation that would be helpful to state policy makers. This assignment is intended to help me gauge your knowledge of evolution, natural selection, and diversity of life. As such, specific items must be addressed in your research briefing.

• Explain the process natural selection and evolution in relation to antibiotic resistance
  • Components to be included in explanation of how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics
    • Heritable trait variation
    • Population of organisms
    • Genetically determined differential survival and reproduction
• Explain the unique characteristics of bacteria and how they are different than other organisms
• Synthesize information from several reliable sources and draw conclusions
  • Sources need to be properly cited using the formatting of your choice (MLA, APA, etc)
  • Refer to the library’s citation guide for more information

Don’t forget to properly cite your sources in-text and with a references (or works cited) page. No citation = plagiarism.

Other sources I suggest are:

• Scientific American (Links to an external site.)
• Science Daily (Links to an external site.)
• phys.org evolution stream (Links to an external site.)
• Most credible published newspapers, like the New York Time, Los A