Introducing CRC SAAFE: a new Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) focused on managing AMR in agriculture and the environment

E. Donner; R. J. Soares Magalhães; A. C. Barnes; A. Jex; V. Jarocki; B. Drigo; S. Djordjevic; N. J. Ashbolt

doi:10.1071/MA24021

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Introducing CRC SAAFE: a new Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) focused on managing AMR in agriculture and the environment

E. Donner

^A ^B ^* , R. J. Soares Magalhães

^A ^C , A. C. Barnes

^A ^D , A. Jex

^A ^E ^F , V. Jarocki

^A ^G , B. Drigo

^A ^B , S. Djordjevic

^A ^G and N. J. Ashbolt

^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Cooperative Research Centre for Solving Antimicrobial Resistance in Agribusiness, Food and Environments, PO Box 66, Pooraka, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.

^B Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.

^C Queensland Alliance for One Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

^D School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

^E Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia.

^F Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

^G The Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection, University of Technology—Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.

Prof. Erica Donner is Research Director of Australia’s Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Solving Antimicrobial Resistance in Agribusiness, Food and Environments (SAAFE), and a Research Professor in the Future Industries Institute at The University of South Australia. An interdisciplinary environmental scientist specialising in systems-based contaminants analysis, risk assessment and management, Erica is a member of the Australian Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (ASTAG).

Prof. Ricardo Soares Magalhães is Professor of Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology and Biosecurity with The University of Queensland, and Director of the Queensland Alliance for One Health Sciences. He is a spatial epidemiologist with international expertise in One Health surveillance, working on projects with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization and other partners. Specialising in data science, industry digital transformation, disease surveillance and management, Ricardo leads CRC SAAFE’s Analytics Program.

Prof. Andrew Barnes is a medical microbiologist who has specialised in livestock vaccines for 30 years. He leads CRC SAAFE’s Solutions Program. His University of Queensland Aquatic Animal Health Lab is focused on aquatic animal health and immunity and developing vaccines for a broad range of finfish species. Andy worked for the Scottish Office of Agriculture and Fisheries Department, Aqua Health Ltd and Novartis before transitioning to an academic career at The University of Queensland.

Assoc. Prof. Aaron Jex is CRC SAAFE’s Monitoring Program lead, specialising in waterborne disease and molecular diagnostics. A National Health and Medical Research Council L1 Leadership Fellow, he is a Lab Head in the Population Health and Immunity Division of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and Associate Professor of Parasitology in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences with The University of Melbourne.

Dr Veronica Jarocki is a CRC SAAFE Foundational Postdoctoral Fellow, specialising in genomic epidemiology and pathogen genomics. She is a key participant in SAAFE’s Monitoring Foundations Projects. She is based at the Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection (AIMI), University of Technology—Sydney.

Dr Barbara Drigo is Enterprise Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, and Senior Lecturer at The University of South Australia STEM with expertise in microbial ecology, AMR, wastewater-based epidemiology, plant–soil–microbial interactions and climate change. Barbara leads the environmental molecular microbial ecology component of several projects on food, soil and water AMR, safety and security in Australia and the Pacific Islands, and is working on horticulture, aquaculture and water industry foundation projects with CRC SAAFE.

Prof. Steven Djordjevic is Professor of Infectious Disease and Group Leader with AIMI, at the University of Technology—Sydney. His research generates and interrogates genomic and proteomics data to mitigate AMR, understand pathogen evolution and identify and characterise novel antigens for vaccine development. Prof. Djordjevic is a cofounder and a member of the governing board and the scientific management committee of the Australian Centre for Genomic Epidemiological Microbiology (AusGEM), which is a collaborative partnership with the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Prof. Nicholas Ashbolt is a globally recognised expert in the behaviour and movement of environmental pathogens in relation to water guidelines. His work has contributed to the risk-based approach adopted for water quality management in Australia as well as the most recent recreation, drinking and reuse guidelines for the World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency. Nicholas holds the Peter Teasdale Chair in Environmental Health Risk Assessment at The University of South Australia. He leads risk assessment and management initiatives across CRC SAAFE’s research programs, with a specific focus on establishing SAAFE’s Living Lab program.

^* Correspondence to: erica.donner@crcsaafe.com.au

Microbiology Australia https://doi.org/10.1071/MA24021

Submitted: 17 April 2024 Accepted: 14 May 2024 Published: 28 May 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the ASM. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC)

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex challenge that poses a critical threat to food and water safety and security as well as to human, animal and environmental health. It is projected to cost the global economy US$100 trillion by 2050. Australia’s new Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Solving Antimicrobial Resistance in Agribusiness, Food and Environments (SAAFE) is part of Australia’s One Health approach to mitigating AMR. SAAFE’s 10-year, A$150-million industry-led program will help protect Australia’s food and agribusiness industries, and the environments in which they operate, from the growing threat of AMR. Through its research programs, CRC SAAFE uses a partner-based approach to assist industries to monitor, analyse and mitigate AMR, with projects spanning horticulture, viticulture, aquaculture, animal industries, water and waste.

Keywords: agriculture, antimicrobial resistance, environment, food, One Health, risk assessment, solutions, stewardship.

Biographies