TWO scientists from the University of Santo Tomas are leading a groundbreaking project to combat multidrug resistance.

Dr. Donna May D.C. Papa from the Department of Biological Sciences and Dr. Maria Rhona Gatpandan-Bergantin from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery are heading a three-year research initiative targeting infections caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

The project, launched in July 2024, is funded by the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines and supported by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).

Dr. Papa, the project leader, explained that the goal is to isolate bacteriophages that infect clinical strains of A. baumannii and develop a phage-based therapeutic prototype for intravenous use.

The team is collaborating with ARSP sentinel sites and tertiary hospitals to collect water samples, conduct enrichment setups, and test filtrates for viable bacteriophages.

To support their research, necessary equipment is being procured and will soon be moved to the UST-Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center in Santa Rosa, Laguna.