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SLU Future One Health
futureonehealth@slu.se
www.slu.se/futureonehealth.se
Nyhetsbrev: One Health Updates
Hello young researchers – what's up?
Senast ändrad: 13 november 2023
Antimicrobial resistance is a major health threat to both humans and animals and is strongly linked to the One Health approach. To tackle the problem, we need a three-pronged approach that focuses on human, environmental and animal factors. We took the opportunity to reach out to some of our PhDs, who are doing research connected to AMR, to get an insight into the full spectrum of important and interesting research being conducted at SLU.
Meet our PhDs Valeriia, Todd, Paul, Olivia, Laingshun and Faruk.
Risk factors and their impact on antimicrobial resistance within pig farms
"It is well known that the animal sector plays a big role in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance and accounts for more than 50% of the global use of antibiotics. The challenge is to minimize bacterial resistance by fine-tuning and optimizing the use of antibiotics. In my research project, I am studying various risk factors and their impact on antimicrobial resistance within pig farms – from hygiene practices to animal contact. I aim to bring us one step closer to solving this global AMR problem."
Valeriia Ladyhina is a PhD student at the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health at SLU and at Uppsala Antibiotic Center. Read more about the project here.
Prevention and of infections in animal hospitals
"I conduct research on infection prevention and control (IPC) with a specific focus on maintaining cleanliness in veterinary hospitals. My project aims to enhance IPC by examining the level of bacteria present in the environment and on equipment before and following cleaning and disinfection practices. Effective IPC measures are crucial to promote low antibiotic use, minimize the risk of microorganism transmission between patients, and ultimately reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)."
Todd Alsing Johansson is a PhD student at the Department of Clinical Sciences, SLU. More about the project.
Urban livestock production systems in low- and middle-income countries
Olivia Graaf Bjöersdorff, PhD at the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health focuses her research on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic pathogens related to urban livestock production systems in low- and middle-income countries.
“Chickens are a crucial source of livelihood, food supply, and nutrition security for the people of Uganda. However, there are public health risks associated with raising and consuming chickens due to the possibility of them carrying antimicrobial-resistant zoonotic bacteria, such as Campylobacter spp. My project aims to investigate the genetic diversity of AMR Campylobacter strains in broilers raised in commercial farms in urban and peri-urban areas of Uganda. The study will also link these findings to information regarding antibiotic usage on farms, as well as the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of chicken producers related to the spread and mitigation of AMR zoonotic pathogens.”
Antibiotics in environmental waters
"As a part of my research, I investigate the fate of antibiotics in environmental waters. Antibiotics can degrade over time and alter their chemical composition. We are particularly interested in studying the effects of these altered molecules on aquatic organisms like algae and fish. Furthermore, we want to know if these sometimes very similar molecules still are active as antibiotics and try to tackle this conducting experiment in the lab, in addition to using computer simulations, to explore this further."
Paul Löffler is a PhD student at the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, SLU. More about the project.
Geographic origins of Salmonella and its impact on antimicrobial resistance
Unlocking the genetic secrets of Salmonella in Cambodian food: A global health puzzle. That’s what PhD Laingshun Huoy tries to figure out in her research.
"Salmonella poses a serious global health threat. In Cambodia, it's linked to severe gastrointestinal illness, especially in children. The rise of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella in the last years amplifies this danger. Our project investigates the geographic origins of Salmonella and its impact on antimicrobial resistance. Our findings will expand our knowledge of Salmonella in Cambodia, revealing its source and resistance genes. Moreover, we aim to train the next generation of scientists, strengthening our department's research capacity as well as the capacity in Cambodia.”
Laingshun belongs to the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health at SLU. More about her research.
Parasitic worms pose significant health and economic burdens
"Ascarid parasitic worms pose significant health and economic burdens by causing debilitating diseases in animals and humans. The primary defence against these parasites has been anthelmintic drugs. However, their effectiveness is waning due to increasing drug resistance among the worms. Addressing this issue is critical, but researching parasitic worms presents unique challenges, as their life cycles depend on a host organism. My PhD project is designed to tackle two objectives: First, to determine whether the free-living worm C. elegans can serve as an appropriate model organism for ascarid research. Second, to employ new molecular techniques to identify key genes involved in the response to anthelmintics and the development of resistance".
Faruk Dube is a PhD student at the Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health.