Investigating the Multi-scale Dynamics and Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance in One Health Systems of China and the UK

Bacteria resistant to antibiotics are moving between people, farm animals, and the environment in ways scientists do not yet fully understand. This project compares bacterial populations and their resistance genes on Chongming Island in China with those in Scotland, using DNA sequencing and evolutionary tracing to map how these microbes travel across human, animal, and environmental boundaries. The problem is urgent: without knowing the routes and drivers of transmission, policymakers cannot design effective interventions to slow the spread of resistant infections. Current surveillance often treats humans, livestock, and waterways as separate systems, missing the connections that allow resistance to persist and amplify. If successful, this research will produce risk models that identify the most likely sources and transmission pathways of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Those models could directly inform public health policy and farming practices in both countries, helping to target resources—such as improved sanitation, biosecurity, or antibiotic stewardship—where they will have the greatest effect. The work is primarily applied, aimed at closing a critical gap in how we track and contain a growing global health threat.