Pathogenic microorganisms pose a significant threat to food security and in the spread of infectious diseases, particularly the transmission of antibiotic resistant organisms (ARO) which remain a critical concern 1. The drivers for the selection or maintenance of ARO’s within the environment represents an important route for the dissemination of these organisms via the food chain. As such, the occurrence and presence of ARO’s in the environment can arise simply as a result of selection by endogenous antibiotics, or the application of antibiotic or antibiotic-like compounds within the environment1. As such, recent data reveals that the genetic factors which contribute to pesticide resistance also confer antibiotic resistance2. Despite this evidence, little is known about the impact of pesticide exposure and the potential for the development of antimicrobial resistance in common microorganisms found within the foodchain. In this application, our overarching aim is to establish a mechanistic basis for pesticide exposure and the transfer of AMR organisms from the environment into the food supply; where the specific aims are to (1) develop and validate a relevant model system to evaluate the selection and transmission of ARO’s (2) determine using an “omics” approach the impact of commonly used agricides in the generation of mutations linked to both pesticide and antibiotic resistance (3) Using in-vivo models establish if microbial transmission and persistence is enhanced in pesticide-exposed plants. This project is led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with SRUC and an industrial partner, NCIMB Ltd. It provides an opportunity to cross disciplines between clinical and environmental microbiology, taking a true One Health approach. Partnership with NCIMB Ltd provides access to one of the UK biobanking companies, showcasing the application of microbiology in commercial settings.
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