The looming threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global public health concern, potentially leading to 10 million deaths annually by 2050. In the face of this crisis, innovative research has accelerated into alternatives to conventional antibiotics, conspicuously categorizing them into three pivotal strategies: biologics, chemical modulators, and microbiome manipulation. These emergent therapies offer promising avenues beyond the traditional scope, addressing both efficacy and specificity in combatting resistant bacteria.

This Research Topic aims to explore and present a comprehensive analysis of these alternative antimicrobial approaches. In biologics, the resurgence of bacteriophage therapy exemplifies a tailored attack against specific pathogens, minimizing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Furthermore, developments in antimicrobial peptides, recombinant lysins, engineered antibodies, and CRISPR-based gene editing highlight sophisticated methods to target and eliminate multidrug-resistant strains. Each biologic strategy incorporates cutting-edge technology to enhance bactericidal activity while aiming to mitigate resistance development.

Chemical modulators offer another layer of innovation, with small molecules poised to prevent resistance gene transfer or enhance antibiotic efficacy through novel delivery mechanisms like photoactivable spacers and siderophore conjugations. These modulators hold potential not only in enhancing the performance of existing antibiotics but also in pioneering new forms of direct antimicrobial interventions.

Lastly, the burgeoning field of microbiome manipulation provides insight into the preventive capabilities of altering microbial communities. By fostering beneficial gut flora through prebiotics, probiotics, and colonisation resistance stimulants, this approach seeks to harness the microbiome's inherent potential to thwart pathogens indirectly through ecological competition and direct antimicrobial production.

Submissions should focus on, but are not limited to, the following themes:

•Mechanistic studies and clinical applications of bacteriophage and antimicrobial peptides
•Innovations in chemical modulation for resistance management and antibiotic enhancement
•Strategies for manipulating the gut and environmental microbiomes to combat infections
•Translational research bridging novel antimicrobial strategies with real-world applications

We encourage contributions in the form of Original Research, Reviews, Mini-reviews, Methods, and more, to provide a panoramic view of current advances and future directions in these cutting-edge antimicrobial strategies. This discussion aims to not only reflect on scientific progression but also foster a multidisciplinary dialogue to collaboratively tackle the AMR crisis.

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Frontiers in Pharmacology

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