Novel interventions for eliminating one- health mobile antimicrobial resistance genes from human and animal microbiomes

抗生素耐药性细菌对人类健康构成根本威胁。越来越多的人认识到，使细菌对抗生素产生耐药性的基因（AMR基因）在农业动物的细菌和与人类相关的细菌之间转移。AMR基因的这种交换是由称为质粒的自我复制DNA分子介导的，质粒具有在细菌细胞之间转移的能力。在这个项目中，我们将测试靶向质粒转移机制的专门病毒限制AMR基因在孤立的病原体群体和复杂的细菌群落中传播的能力。最终，该项目将导致开发新的基于噬菌体的方法，用于消除人类和农业动物的AMR基因，这些基因是AMR基因的重要来源，特别是在LMIC环境中。

Antibiotic resistant bacteria pose a fundamental threat to human health. There is growing recognition that the genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics (AMR genes) are transferred between bacteria from agricultural animals and bacteria associated with humans. This exchange of AMR genes is mediated by self-replicating DNA molecules called plasmids that have the ability to transfer between bacterial cells. In this project we will test the ability of specialised viruses that target the plasmid transfer machinery to limit the spread of AMR genes in isolated pathogen populations and complex bacterial communities. Ultimately, this project will lead to the development of new phage based approaches for eradicating AMR genes from humans and agricultural animals that act as important sources of AMR genes, particularly in LMIC settings.