Could all of the advances made by humanity in cancer therapy, personalized medicine and other high-impact, state-of-the-art medical technologies be wiped out by returning to a time when a simple wound could mean death?
Such a scenario may sound alarmist, but antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly recognized as one of the most serious public health threats of our time. The growing ability of bacteria to resist antibiotics threatens to erode decades of safe medical practices, raising the possibility of a future in which common infections once again become difficult or impossible to treat.
AMR goes beyond hospitals or clinical settings. Resistance is also an ecological phenomenon. Antibiotics, resistant bacteria, and resistance genes move through complex environmental networks that connect human activities, agriculture, livestock production, and natural ecosystems. One of the key scientific questions today is understanding how resistance genes travel from bacterial populations highly exposed to antimicrobials into rivers, soils and other environments, where they may eventually come into contact with wildlife, crops, domestic animals and human populations. Freshwater ecosystems, in particular, have emerged as important reservoirs and pathways for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.
The fellowship undertaken by Miguel Mateo Rodríguez García at the University of Costa Rica's Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Microbial Genetics of Aquatic Environments (LEGeMA) represents a timely and highly relevant contribution to regional capacity development. During his training, Miguel strengthened his knowledge and practical skills in environmental microbiology, microbial water quality assessment, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular detection of resistance genes and spatial approaches for understanding the environmental dissemination of resistant bacteria, with a focus on freshwater ecosystems.
The broader significance of this training lies in its contribution to ecological surveillance. As the development of new antimicrobial drugs proceeds slowly and the effectiveness of existing antibiotics continues to decline, monitoring the emergence and spread of resistance becomes increasingly essential.
The expertise acquired by Miguel will help strengthen research and surveillance capacities in Colombia while fostering long-term collaboration among institutions working on environmental health and microbial risk assessment. In this context, investments in training, knowledge exchange and scientific mobility are not merely educational opportunities but strategic interventions that help prepare the region for future public health challenges.
UNU-BIOLAC gratefully acknowledges the commitment and support of the institutions and individuals who made this fellowship possible. Special thanks go to the University of Costa Rica and its Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Microbial Genetics of Aquatic Environments (LEGeMA), as well as to the University of Magdalena, for fostering this valuable academic exchange. We also sincerely thank Dr. Luz María Chacón Jiménez for her guidance and expertise in antimicrobial resistance and water microbiology, and Dr. Lyda Castro for her mentorship and support throughout the training process.
