Members of the OHBP steering group from NHS Highland and the Environmental Research Institute UHI have partnered with researchers on the UKRI funded AMR transdisciplinary network AMAST to tackle AMR in agrifood systems. The network will harness perspectives from across agrifood stakeholders and prepare new ways to tackle these challenges on how AMR impacts food production from farm to fork.
The AMAST – AMR in Agrifood Systems Transdisciplinary Network
AMAST will, for the first time, bring together various agrifood communities with academic researchers from different disciplines, to identify from the bottom up the challenges AMR poses within agrifood, and then collaborate to develop solutions. It will involve members from different agrifood production systems, such as crop, livestock and aquaculture, from primary production through to the consumer. It will also bring in transdisciplinary academics, including bioscientists and social scientists as well as other areas that may not have previously engaged with AMR as a challenge.
The AMAST Leadership Team is made up of the Quadram Institute, Newcastle University, Royal Veterinary College, University of Stirling, Royal Holloway University of London, Cranfield University, James Hutton Institute, Royal Agricultural University, Scotland’s Rural College, University of Bristol, University of Leicester and University of Southampton.
Partners on board the AMAST Network include ADAS, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, CAB International (CABI), The Environmental Research Institute (University of Highlands and Islands), the FAI Farms, Fera Science, the Food Industry Initiative on Antimicrobials (FIIA), Menter a Busnes, NHS Highland, Ricardo, UK Agri-Tech Centre, Vet Sustain, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
AMAST will receive ca. £650,000 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding as part of its work to tackle infections. Eight new networks were awarded funding under the AMR Transdisciplinary Networks call by UKRI.