BAR-ILAN INSTITUTE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY & ADVANCED MATERIALS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT

22 “According to the predictions, people of all ages and health conditions will die of common infections and minor injuries – taking us back to how things were prior to the discovery of antibiotics,” says Prof. Banin, who focuses on the development of advanced antibacterial material and a new generation of antibiotic treatments, many of which are based on nanomaterials. The WHO’s report, for the first time, stated the devastating implications of antibiotic resistance not just on healthcare systems, due to prolonged hospitalizations and dramatic increases in healthcare spending, but even on the overall economy. The situation could deteriorate to a global crisis with the magnitude of the Great Recession (2007-2009) with its significant impact on food production, trade and livelihood, further exacerbating poverty and inequality throughout the world. “To tackle this problem, we focus on a specific bacteria lifestyle, called biofilm. Within these structured communities, bacteria are extremely resistant to chemical disinfection, antibiotic therapy and to our immune system. Effective drugs, which easily kill free- living (i.e. planktonic) bacteria, are no longer effective when they face the bacteria that reside within a biofilm structure. When structured together, the cells are enclosed in a self-produced polymeric matrix, which makes them extremely resistant. We find biofilms in every chronic bacterial disease, including pneumonia in patients with cystic fibrosis, urinary tract infections, gingivitis, chronic ear infections, and more. In addition, biofilms tend to settle and flourish on non-biological surfaces. In the medical setting this includes catheters, pacemakers, and medical implants, which in turn quickly infect the body, leaving no alternative but to replace the device or implant. Biofilms also present an industrial and environmental problem as they settle on faucets, drippers, food processing machinery and more. They are everywhere and we are all exposed to them.” Prof. Banin conducts both basic and applied research. He explores how bacteria form into biofilm structures, and which regulatory processes encourage or discourage the free bacteria cells to group together into biofilm. With these learnings, Prof. Banin defines LEADING A FIERCE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST ANTIBACTERIAL RESISTANCE At the beginning of 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its most alarming report yet concerning antibiotic resistance, estimating that in just 20 to 30 years it will become the leading cause of death, claiming the lives of 50 million people worldwide. Through his fruitful collaborations in Israel, Asia, Europe and the US, 3URI (KXG %DQLQ LV D OHDGLQJ ȴJXUH LQ WKH RQJRLQJ ȴJKW against antibiotic resistance