In one current project funded by the Medical Research Council, Surrey’s veterinary researchers are taking a unique approach by recreating the intestine of a chicken in order to study the risk of transmission of AMR genes from one pathogen to another, with a specific focus on those that can be transmitted to humans. This is an exciting breakthrough which allows researchers to model many different infection scenarios without the need for live animal studies.


Researchers in the Vet School have also explored alternatives to conventional antibiotics. They have recently discovered that the addition of a specific metal compound raises the effectiveness of the antibiotic colistin when used to treat E. coli – a technique which could enable antibiotics that are no longer effective to be ‘repurposed’.


Surrey has worked with colleagues at the University of Glasgow’s School of Art and veterinary practice Fitzpatrick Referrals to develop a special simulation tool that could be used for training veterinary staff. The app-based tool tracks where bugs are most likely to gather and how to prevent them from spreading – for example by highlighting areas of high risk.


Professor La Ragione explained: “A similar technique has successfully been used in human hospital wards and proved very effective, so this is a great example of ‘One Health’: the philosophy that human and animal health and the environment are all closely interconnected.


“It’s only by taking this holistic approach that we will be able to stop the devastating effects of AMR and the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to humans.”


SURREY.AC.UK


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