Analysis of technological maturity in antimicrobial resistance research: case study at the Antimicrobial Resistance Institute of São Paulo (CEPID-ARIES)

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern of the 21st century, being responsible for the direct and indirect deaths of millions of people annually. It is a natural process of evolution where microorganisms become less effective in treatments and is accelerated by selective pressure from the misuse of antimicrobials in human health, animal health and environment. To combat this problem, it is necessary to develop new solutions for the therapy, diagnosis, and prevention of infections, but this process is long, requires a large financial investment, and has regulatory and market obstacles. In this context, academic laboratories play an important role in transforming basic research into products in industry, however, technological transfer requires good practices and systematization of requirements. Since the development of the Techonology Readiness Level scale for aerospace programs, several adaptations have been developed in different areas, including generically for the biomedical segment, with the purpose of classifying and comparing the readiness of different technologies in a standardized way. Thus, this project intends to develop, based on case studies at the Instituto Paulista de Resistência aos Antimicrobianos (CEPID-ARIES), a model for assessing the level of specific technological maturity in antimicrobial resistance research that aligns the interests between researchers and funders, seeking facilitate the launch of innovative products on the market that have a positive impact on society.