Experts from Loughborough, alongside colleagues from the University of Nottingham, aim to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by investigating how resistant bacteria spreads between humans, livestock, and wildlife and will explore innovative treatments to combat this by using bacteriophages - viruses that specifically target and destroy bacteria.
AMR is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, with projections estimating up to 8 million annual deaths worldwide by 2050 (Lancet, 2024).
The £1.7million funded international research project, which has been funded by the BBSRC and the Indian Government Department of Biotechnology (DBT), will be delivered by Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham, the Quadram Institute and the UK Health Security Agency.
Partners in India include the Maharashtra Animal & Fishery Sciences University, the Central India Institute of Medical Science, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, the Wildlife Research and Training Center, Nagpur and the University of Delhi.
The collaborative project focuses on Escherichia coli (E. coli), a common source of infection in both humans and animals, and a member of the ESKAPE group of drug-resistant pathogens given high priority by the World Health Organization.
Researchers will study E. coli transmission on farms in the UK and India over a two-year period. This involves sampling livestock and humans, analysing environmental factors, and interviewing farmers to understand management practices that influence the spread of AMR.
Professor Emily Rousham, Professor of Global Public Health at Loughborough University, said: “Many of the antibiotics that we rely on to treat human and animal infections are becoming ineffective, so this is an exciting opportunity to develop new treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections by using bacteriophages.
"This UK-India collaboration will bring together researchers in medicine, veterinary sciences as well as biological and social sciences to engage with farmers, improve dairy farming practices and reduce the risks of antibiotic resistance developing in livestock and humans.”
To address the growing threat of AMR, the project will also develop a new bacteriophage-based treatment. Bacteriophage (or ‘phage’) are viruses which specifically kill bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains. By harnessing artificial intelligence, the team will optimize combinations (or “cocktails”) of bacteriophages to target AMR E. coli strains circulating in livestock and people.
Given the global nature of AMR, where resistant bacteria can spread across borders through international travel and trade, this research highlights the urgent need for worldwide cooperation to tackle the issue.
This groundbreaking project offers hope in the fight against AMR, paving the way for effective, alternative treatments and strategies to protect public and animal health.