| Project Detail |
Combating AMR and spore-forming pathogens in agriculture
The use of animal waste as agricultural fertilisers poses a significant challenge due to the potential presence of pathogens, antibiotic resistance genes, and antibiotic residues. While pre-treatments of organic waste can help reduce enteric bacteria and minimise the risk of crop contamination, the inactivation of spore-forming pathogens remains a difficult task. With the support of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, the EU-funded RESISPORE project seeks to identify strategies that curtail the initial spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and spore-forming pathogens from animal waste to the environment and food chain. As an interdisciplinary initiative in the field of environment and agriculture, the project is aligned with European food safety recommendations. It promises safe and sustainable food production.
The use of animal waste as agricultural fertilizers is a potential source of pathogens, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotics residues (ABs) and must be managed accordingly. Pre-treatments of organic waste prior to land application offer the potential to abate enteric bacteria, and therefore reduce the risk of contamination of crops or adjacent water resources with resistant pathogens carried in these materials. However, the reduction and fate of such fecal indicator bacteria may not properly predict the responses of of all types of pathogens, especially those that produce spores. The inactivation of spore-forming pathogens, such as Clostridium and Bacillus spp., from animal waste could be challenging given the recalcitrance of the spores these bacteria produce. RESISPORE is an interdisciplinary and innovative project in the field of environment & agriculture that aims to identify intervention management strategies to stop the initial movement of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and spore-forming pathogens from animal waste into the environment and food chain. RESISPORE aims are aligned with current European strategies to produce safe, healthier, and more sustainable food such as The Farm to Fork strategy or the EFSA recommendations for protecting food safety. This project will be delivered by the fellow Dr. Jessica Subirats, with a strong expertise in environmental microbiologist, under the supervision of Dr.Victor Matamoros, who has a strong track-record in environmental biochemistry and agricultural science. The fellowship will provide new expertise and training on analytical chemistry, large-scale biogas operations, agricultural science, and professional development for academics. The fellow will bring her knowledge of AMR and microbiology using both culture-dependent and independent methods. The proposed work will expand the fellow’s research competencies and professional networks, enhancing the development of her career as an independent researcher. |
