Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health. Antibiotics are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop mechanisms to survive in the presence of these drugs. In this episode, I sit down with Jim Howes, a Master of Science Candidate at McMaster University studying antibiotic drug discovery. We discuss what antibiotics are, how antibiotic resistance develops, and resistance as a global health crisis. Our conversation ends on an optimistic note as we discuss how researchers are attempting to solve this problem and what a day in the life of a Master’s student in this field is like.

Music by Stan Forebee