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From April 15 to 19, 2024, Professor Wang Can from Tianjin University’s School of Environmental Science and Engineering, participated in the inaugural coordination meeting of the project titled "Innovative Approaches for Detecting and Characterizing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Animal Production Environments." This initiative, jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), convened in Vienna. Professor Wang Can presented his research plan focusing on "Sampling, Analysis Methods, and Distribution Characteristics of Airborne Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Livestock and Poultry Farming Environments."

Prof. Wang Can gives a report about the research plan during the inaugural coordination meeting.

Over the ensuing five years, Professor Wang Can and his team will conduct comprehensive research on airborne antibiotic resistance genes in selected regions' livestock and poultry farming environments. Their investigations will delve into the dissemination of antibiotics in farming airspaces and their implications for animal welfare, environmental safety and human health. This endeavor underscores Chinese researchers' commitment to solving important global issues through technological innovation, and developing new quality productive forces.

The global imperative to confront antibiotic resistance has gained prominence in recent years, with the World Health Organization highlighting drug-resistant infections among the most pressing global health challenges. Given that more than half of the world's antibiotics are utilized in the livestock and poultry sector, this industry represents a critical focal point for combating antibiotic resistance. In response, the FAO and IAEA have established a collaborative research center dedicated to addressing antibiotic resistance in food-producing animals. This center has instituted observation networks for monitoring antimicrobial resistance, studying molecular epidemiology and transmission dynamics, and formulating alternative strategies and action plans to mitigate AMR.

Attendees from 15 research groups take a photo in Vienna.

Professor Wang Can's expertise lies in researching airborne microorganisms, particularly in agricultural settings. His team has made significant strides in studying bioaerosols and airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within livestock and poultry farming environments. They have meticulously analyzed the distribution patterns and fate of ARGs in farming airspaces, elucidated the mechanisms of airborne ARG transmission, and assessed the potential health risks posed by ARG pollution to animal and human populations. It was on the strength of these accomplishments that Professor Wang Can was invited to participate in this global collaborative endeavor.

The Joint Research Center overseeing this project has enlisted 15 research institutions worldwide to collaborate on various research tasks over the course of five years. The recent coordination meeting aimed to outline the project's overarching framework and research objectives, as well as evaluate the implementation plans of each research task.

Professor Wang Can emphasized that the project's primary objective is to establish standardized sampling and analysis methodologies for antibiotics-resistant microorganisms and genes through international cooperation. Their aim is to delineate the distribution characteristics of antibiotics-resistant microorganisms and genes in diverse livestock and poultry farming environments and develop antibiotic alternatives tailored for these settings. Given the inherent risks posed by widespread antibiotic use in animal agriculture, their research seeks to establish analysis and monitoring protocols for airborne drug-resistant genes and understand their relationships with other transmission pathways.

"This project embodies a global scientific undertaking for the public good, and its outcomes will be disseminated globally through the United Nations platform. We aspire to contribute our expertise and efforts to addressing the shared challenges confronting the world," Professor Wang Can affirmed.

By Eva Yin