Shared Platform for Antibiotic Research and Knowledge: A Collaborative Tool to SPARK Antibiotic Discovery

ACS Infect Dis. 2018 Nov 9;4(11):1536-1539. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00193. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Abstract

The discovery of urgently needed antibiotics is hindered by challenges to information sharing. To help address this challenge, The Pew Charitable Trusts launched SPARK: the Shared Platform for Antibiotic Research and Knowledge. SPARK is an online, publicly available, interactive database designed to help scientists build on previous research and generate new insights to advance the field's understanding of Gram-negative permeability. This Viewpoint details how data are selected and integrated into the platform, how scientists can use SPARK to share their data, and the ways the scientific community can access and use these data to develop hypotheses.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents*
  • Charities
  • Databases, Factual*
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Global Health
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Information Dissemination*
  • Intersectoral Collaboration*
  • Research*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents