Resistomap Oy was founded in June 2018 in Helsinki and started operating in January 2019. Basically, the company maps the antibiotic resistance across the globe. It is a data-driven laboratory service for monitoring antibiotic resistance from environmental samples.

Resistomap combines a high throughput gene quantification method and digital dashboard to help users understand in-depth the prevalence and abundance of antibiotic resistance in their samples.

The data that the company produces can help researchers identify the sources of antibiotic resistance in their samples. Also, it can help them evaluate the efficiency of new innovations in reducing antibiotic resistance spread and monitor the trends of potential resistant-bacteria outbreaks.

So the company helps researchers at universities, research institutes, hospitals, and the food production industry to detect and quantify bacterial genes which are associated with antibiotic resistance in wastewater, surface water, soils, manure, and stool samples in a fast, comprehensive, and cost-effective way.

A team of professionals aiming to prevent the outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Currently, the Resistomap team, which is multinational and gender-balanced, is made up of ten professionals. While three members have PhDs and three have masters, the remaining four are experienced in their fields.

Windi Muziasari, the founder and CEO of Resistomap, decided to establish this startup after more than 10 years of working on the environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance. During this time period, she has gained extensive experience in this field and wanted to help other researchers study antibiotic resistance.

Since hospitals are known as one of the main sources of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the monitoring of antibiotic resistance is a crucial yet a very costly process. So, the main focus of the company became urban environments.

Spread of antibiotic resistance, which threatens the efficacy of antibiotics, is observed to be more common in countries where the environment is polluted, especially with human waste and antibiotics.

Therefore environmental monitoring is an important component of preparing against the silent pandemic of antibiotic resistance. Resistomap contributes to improving health and making the world a more sustainable place by providing this environmental monitoring.

This way it becomes possible for hospitals to gain awareness of trends towards possible outbreaks. Moreover, this monitoring helps create awareness on prescribing practices on the emergence of antibiotic resistance as well as awareness on the quality of wastewater outflow released into the environment.

All this together leads to the ultimate goal of improving health.

Resistomap and the Urban Tech Helsinki program

The innovative biotechnology company has worked with HUS and HSY for monitoring antibiotic resistance in hospital wastewater and on Helsinki’s wastewater treatment plant in 2020.

Also, Resistomap has joined the Urban Tech Helsinki program, which helped its team get access to networking opportunities as well as work facilities. However, the most useful part of the program for the company has been the mentorship that the team received.

Moreover, the team has had a great experience, enjoying the agility and flexibility provided by the Urban Tech Helsinki program as well as the ability to customize it to their needs.

By 2022, Resistomap aims to start monitoring the antibiotic resistance in the environment with wastewater samples, with the main goal of monitoring antibiotic resistance in the environment globally. Also, the company aims to enable hospitals to send the wastewater samples for the antibiotic resistance level analysis for free to get access to a larger pool of data.

In order to achieve the bold goal of making this testing available globally and building the global database of antibiotic resistance in the environment, Resistomap is looking for global foundations/philanthropy funding that can join it on its mission. If you want to learn more about the company, you can check out its website at resistomap.com.

This article is done in collaboration with ArcticStartup.