The "https://www.escmid.org/" European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) has awarded one of the 2014 Research Prize to support the project entitled "PLGA nanoparticles as carriers for specific delivery of nebulized antibiotic drug combinations against respiratory infections Caused by High -risk clones of P. aeruginosa in the murine model", presented by Dr. Yolanda Meije from the Infectious Diseases Group at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR). The project is part of a novel research line led by Dr. Joan Gavaldà and Dr. Albert Pahissa. The study is based on the use of nanotechnology in order to fight off respiratory infections caused by multi-resistance microorganisms. VHIR researchers will administrate nebulized antibiotic drugs combinations with the aim to get bigger drug concentrations in the lung, to avoid the side effects of a systemic treatment and to increase the treatment’s efficacy. The incidence of infections by multi-resistance microorganisms is around the 25% in the EU, the responsible of nearly 25,000 deaths per year, and it costs to the system €1.5 billion per year. Dr. Meije regrets that despite the high incidence of these infections, “less than the 5% of the products of R&D developed worldwide are new antibiotic drugs for the treatment of these infections which don’t currently have many therapeutic options”. This research work, funded by the ESCMID with 20,000 euros, has been developed in a multidisciplinary way with Dr. Eduard Torrent of The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Dr. Antonio Oliver, Head of The Microbiology Department at Son Espases Hospital in Mallorca.