The global problem of antibiotic resistance is fast becoming one of the major scientific issues of modern times. The development of new antibiotics is slow and difficult work but bacterial resistance is decreasing our arsenal of existing drugs posing a catastrophic threat as ordinary infections become untreatable.

Preventative action is needed to help reduce resistance. The Longitude Prize aims to improve our ability to target infections more precisely by encouraging the development of new tools.

The bacteria listed below cover a range of diseases and levels of resistance. All of them present a threat to humans in some way or another. Some, like Tuberculosis for example, are already a huge challenge to overcome in their own right and will only become harder to control as their resistance to antibiotics grows.

Browse through our guide to Ten of the Worst Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, or discover more about tackling resistance on the Longitude Prize website.