A multi-million pound programme of strategic research delivered over five years providing science and evidence to support policymakers and its partners. Informed by strong partnerships and the needs of a broad range of stakeholders. Science at the heart of society contributing to the health, wealth and wellbeing of Scotland and beyond.
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Research
Ongoing research (2022-2027)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 17
A systems understanding of the flow of Antimicrobial Resistance from livestock production to the environment and humans: informing antimicrobial stewardship and optimal use
Antimicrobials are often the last line of defence in protecting animal health and maintaining animal welfare standards. This project is providing a deeper understanding of the consequences of antimicrobial use in livestock production to extend the useful lifespan of individual antimicrobials and reduce risk to public health and the wider environment.
- Animal Disease
- 2022-2027
A systems understanding of the flow of Antimicrobial Resistance from livestock production to the environment and humans: informing risk analyses
The aim of this project is to characterise and quantify the flow of antimicrobial resistance genes within and from livestock holdings to the wider environment and human population, to inform antimicrobial stewardship and optimal use, and human risk via the food chain. Using a study site with pig, beef, poultry and sheep holdings, we are generating top-down descriptions of antimicrobial resistance patterns found in the environment and matching them with bottom-up hypothesis testing with experimental characterisation of the processes driving antimicrobial resistance gene flow through the...
- Diet & Food Safety
- 2022-2027
Addressing knowledge gaps in the sources, epidemiology and genetic diversity of important foodborne pathogens
This project investigates the role of Scottish livestock and their environments in transmission of important foodborne pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii and Campylobacter spp., to humans.
- Diet & Food Safety
- 2022-2027
Assessing the impact of changing migratory patterns and population size of greylag geese on livestock and public health
This project aims to investigate microbial risks carried by wildlife species whose distribution and abundance is affected by climate change.
- Biodiversity
- Plant & Animal Health
- 2022-2027
Emerging water futures
This project is integrating model-based assessment of future risks to water quality and quantity under a range of scenarios, with new empirical water quality data and socio-economic risk assessment for drinking water supplies.
- Water
- 2022-2027
Flows of antimicrobial resistance and pathogens through environment to food chain
This research aims to quantify the flow of antimicrobial resistance genes and pathogens from the environment to the food chain and directly to humans in the farm environment under different farming practices. This will be integrated with social science work on antimicrobial use. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be used to develop a risk assessment model based on a Bayesian Belief Network.
- Diet & Food Safety
- 2022-2027
Harnessing the gut microbiome to strengthen livestock resilience against carriage and infection by pathogens
Infectious diseases, particularly when caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, are major problems in farmed animals. New treatments are urgently needed to reduce infections. We aim to address this by harnessing the animal intestinal microbiome to boost their defence. We will screen our diverse gut bacterial culture collections to identify health-associated microbes with potent activity against pathogens, including antibiotic resistant strains
- Animal Disease
- 2022-2027
Identifying selective cofactors that contribute to the role of the intestinal microbiome as a reservoir of multiple resistance genes transmissible to pathogenic bacteria
It is vital to understand the contribution of resident intestinal bacteria to the environmental flow of antimicrobial resistance genes. We will isolate resistant commensal bacteria from diverse sources, assess the co-carriage of heavy metal resistance genes on mobile genetic elements, compare identical resistance genes between non-harmful and pathogenic bacteria, and investigate the impact selective pressure has on gene evolution and transfer.
- Animal Disease
- 2022-2027
Incorporation of whole ecosystem approaches to reduce transmission of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance
Foodborne pathogen infections and antimicrobial resistance are real health crises. The first aim of this project is to identify specific non-harmful bacteria isolated from livestock and the environment that can inhibit growth of a range of pathogens, in order to interrupt the spread of foodborne pathogens across a range of different environments. The second aim is to screen genome sequences from our collection of Campylobacter strains and non-harmful gut bacterial isolates to identify identical genes, and understand their role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance through the...
- Diet & Food Safety
- 2022-2027
Monitoring veterinary medicine usage to improve animal performance and efficiency
The project assesses the relationship between the medicines used in beef cattle, whether they are used appropriately, and the performance characteristics of the livestock.
- Livestock Improvement
- 2022-2027