In a major step toward combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in environmental settings, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), in partnership with the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), has announced the nine winners of the AMR Challenge 2024-25.
A Nationwide Call to Tackle a Global Threat
Launched in August 2024 under the India AMR Innovation Hub, the challenge drew close to 200 applications from startups and innovators across India. The initiative seeks to develop context-specific solutions to AMR, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the threat of AMR is increasingly urgent.
Selected winners will receive funding and ecosystem support to scale their innovations, facilitate adoption, and promote social integration of their solutions.
AMR: A Growing Global Health Crisis
As reported by TOI, experts estimate that by 2050, antimicrobial resistance could contribute to 10 million deaths annually worldwide. Major drivers of this crisis include climate change, widespread misuse of antimicrobials in the food and agriculture sectors, and antibiotic pollution resulting from inadequate waste management.
Focus on Environmental Solutions
Taslimarif Saiyed, Director and CEO of C-CAMP, emphasized that the selected innovations target pressing AMR challenges in point-of-care diagnostics, pathogen detection in agricultural and healthcare runoff, wastewater treatment, industrial effluent control, and hospital air decontamination.
“This partnership between GAMRIF and C-CAMP brings global focus to locally relevant solutions for AMR. It places us alongside prominent international stakeholders like CARBX and GARDP,” the official statement noted.
Meet the Winners: Innovations at the Forefront of AMR Mitigation
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Developed MONZymes-based technology that uses advanced (photo)catalytic activity to degrade residual antibiotics in effluent wastewater. - Foundation for Neglected Diseases Research (FNDR)
Created a cartridge-based device featuring a patented mix of activated charcoal and plant-based materials to remove antimicrobial residues from wastewater. - Biomoneta Research Pvt Ltd
Introduced qAMI (Quantitative Airborne Microbial Index), which uses AI/ML to detect total microbial load and pathogens in hospital air. - DNOME Pvt Ltd
Developed a pocket-sized PCR device for on-field detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in aquaculture and wastewater. - Vividew Innovations Pvt Ltd
Engineered a system that combines membrane filtration with photocatalytic oxidation to eliminate residual antibiotics and resistant bacteria from hospital sewage. - Diagopreutic Pvt Ltd
Created a colorimetric detection method based on differential nitroreductase activity for identifying residual antibiotics and pathogens in aquaculture effluents. - Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt Ltd
Designed a rapid wastewater pathogen detection tool using in-house nucleic acid extraction and multiplexed qRT-PCR technology.