The prosperity of the modern world is threatened by the emergence of drug resistant pathogens, pesticide-resistant insects and herbicide-resistant weeds. Novel investigational cancer drugs increase life expectancy, but fail when resistance develops. The same principles of evolution drive the development of resistance in all of these contexts, yet each field attacks the problem of resistance alone. The Drug Resistance Gordon Research Conference (DRGRC) provides a unique forum where scientists and physicians working in infectious diseases, cancer and agriculture come together to discuss common issues and share approaches with the conviction that general strategies to minimize resistance can be developed by working together.

As in previous years, the conference strives to recruit a broad array of disciplinary expertise, varying seniority, and wide geographic and cultural perspectives. The organizers are recruiting internationally recognized speakers from infectious disease, cancer and agriculture, including representatives from academics, government organizations, and industry. The organizers also welcomed timely and novel poster presentations and at least twelve outstanding poster presentations were selected for short oral talks. Among these were two posters from the COMBINE Project on standardized murine pneumonia model to evaluate antibiotic treatments and the variability in murine bacterial pneumonia models used to evaluate new antimicrobial drug candidates.