Why are bacteria evolving faster than our antibiotics?

Antimicrobial resistance represents one of the most complex challenges at the intersection of microbiology, chemistry, and medicine. As bacteria rapidly evolve mechanisms to evade antibiotics, the pipeline for new anti-infective drugs struggles to keep pace.

In this episode, our guest Micha, who is a PhD candidate in pharmaceutical science and part of the FWF-funded doc:fund Anti-Infectives Drug Discovery (AIDD) project team at the University of Vienna, takes a closer look specifically at Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a highly adaptable and resistant bacterium that exemplifies the difficulty of treating modern infections. We explore how resistance emerges, what multidrug resistance means at molecular level, and why features such as low membrane permeability, efflux pumps, and biofilm formation lead to frequent treatment failure.

Additionally, we address the realities of novel anti-infective drug discovery such as why selectivity and toxicity are major hurdles, how permeability limits compound effectiveness, and why many drug candidates fail long before reaching patients.

Beyond the science, the episode also highlights why early exposure to drug discovery matters for students and how creative, resilient thinking is essential for tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Markus, a PhD candidate in Sport Science at the University of Vienna, introduces in this podcast his newly developed high-intensity interval training (HIIT) model, designed to test how the body reacts to strenuous exercise under controlled conditions. We discussed what happens inside the body during high-intensity training, with particular attention on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and physiological stress response mechanism. We also explored the powerful role of nutrition in shaping these responses, particularly the effect of polyphenol-rich foods and carbohydrate-rich foods in supporting recovery, reducing oxidative stress, and improving recovery outcomes.

Interested in his research? Then read more about Markus latest works:

Doing a PhD is often described as a journey - one filled with curiosity, persistence, and plenty of unexpected turns. In this episode, our team opens up about their personal PhD experiences: field of research, the motivation that sparked curiosity, managing different tasks and the small victories that kept them moving forward. You’ll hear their honest reflections and thoughtful conversations about what it really means to pursue PhD from their point of view. Whether you’re just starting your PhD, somewhere in the middle, or thinking about life after graduation, this episode offers a relatable experience to every early-career researcher.

Podcast team: Hari Baskar Balasubramanian (PhD candidate) and Ranjith Kumar Ravi Kumar (postdoctoral researcher), both from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Anar Batzorig (PhD candidate), Department of Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Feng, a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Vienna, starts the conversation by providing an overview of the Human Genome Project and explaining why it is essential to look beyond the genome to gain a comprehensive understanding of biology. With a clear passion for proteomics, he discusses advanced tools used to study proteins, focusing on the power of mass spectrometry. He highlights the latest developments in the field, including high-throughput techniques and the emerging role of single-cell proteomics in uncovering the complexity of systems such as the microbiome, as well as challenging samples like faeces and blood. He also illustrates the real-world impact of proteomics across multiple disciplines, including pharmaceutical and nutritional sciences, and shares everyday examples of how proteomic techniques can be used to profile food allergies. If you are fascinated by recent advancements and technical innovations in metaproteomics, don't miss this insightful conversation with Dr. Feng, who has over a decade of expertise in the field.

Take a look at his recent article in Nature Communications:

Guest: Feng Xian, postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Vienna.

This episode offers an engaging introduction to the future of sport science: musculoskeletal modelling. It’s where the labs and computers come together to shape how we understand, train and care for the human body. Musculoskeletal modelling digitally recreates human movement, offering insights into forces and mechanics that are nearly impossible to capture through direct testing.

In this conversation, Alexander explains how these models are built, what they can tell us, and why they matter. He discusses how researchers use data from a wide variety of cases, including artificial joint replacements, to train these models. He also addresses their limitations and the challenge of making them robust and reflective of real-life conditions.

We explore practical applications such as:

The results show us that musculoskeletal modelling provides evidence-based tools that can guide safer rehabilitation, smarter and safer training and support long-term performance and musculoskeletal health.

Guest: Alexander Pürzel , PhD candidate at the Department of Sport and Human Movement Science.

Null results are often overlooked in academic publishing, yet they play a critical role in advancing science with honesty and integrity.

Hosts: Hari Baskar Balasubramanian (PhD candidate) and Ranjith Kumar Ravi Kumar (postdoctoral fellow).

Making career choices can be exciting at the same time challenging. It is often a self-realisation process that promises fulfilment and professional growth.

This episode was hosted and produced by Hari Baskar Balasubramanian (PhD candidate) and Ranjith Kumar Ravi Kumar (postdoctoral fellow), with Daniel Cuervo-Zanatta (postdoctoral fellow) as the guest. All are in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Anar Batzorig, a PhD candidate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, recorded and edited it.

Step into the world of international research with Bogi, a PhD student at the University of Pécs, as she recounts her three-month mobility experience at the University of Vienna.

Are you thinking of moving to a distant country to do your doctorate, or have you already done so? Does it feel like it's all new and even though you've prepared so much, there's still a lot to do?

Then join PhD students/early career researchers in Pharmaceutical Sciences - Thi Ngoc Lan Vu, Andrea Cabrera and Shara Natalia Sosa Cabrera - as they discuss some of the challenges they faced as international students and share their best tips on how to overcome them. They talk about the difficulties they foresaw, and some they did not, before moving from far away countries to Vienna, Austria. They share their insights, successes, failures and some useful tips for other international students who are planning to study abroad or who are already doing so. Listen to them to hear how they adapted to these challenges, both seen and unforeseen!

This episode was written by Thi Ngoc Lan Vu, Irem Duman, Andrea Cabrera and Shara Natalia Sosa Cabrera (Pharmaceutical Sciences), hosted by Agnes Draxler (Alumna and early-postdoc researcher at the Department of Nutritional Sciences), recorded and edited by Simon Schenk-Mair, and produced by Andrea Cabrera.

Are you curious about how ageing works at a molecular level? Do you want to know how our bodies defend themselves against stress?