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Do you have an idea that will solve the problem of antimicrobial resistance? The 2014 Longitude Prize is offering a prize fund of £10 million to solve the 'antibiotics challenge'.

The Prize is timed to mark the 300th anniversary of the original Longitude Prize, which saw watchmaker and carpenter John Harrison win a fortune from the British Government for devising the first seafaring clock that allowed people to pinpoint their exact position at sea. It was the very first challenge prize of its kind, led to safer sea travel and also opened up global trade.

The challenge for the 2014 Longitude Prize is to create a cost-effective, accurate, rapid and easy-to-use test for bacterial infections that will allow health professionals worldwide to administer the right antibiotics at the right time. It is believed that such a test would help to combat the rise of antimicrobial resistance. As frequently discussed in this Journal, antimicrobial resistance poses a significant future risk as common infections become untreatable.

Submissions opened on 18 November and entrants will have up to five years to put their solution forward for assessment by the Longitude Committee. To find out more or to register your interest, visit http://www.longitudeprize.org/got-idea.

18 November 2014 was European Antibiotic Awareness Day. In support of the event, the FGDP(UK) has made the entire text of Antimicrobial prescribing for general dental practitioners freely available to view on www.fgdp.org.uk until the end of November 2014: http://www.fgdp.org.uk/publications/antimicrobial-prescribing-standards.ashx.