Animal Health

The impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) extends beyond the use of antibiotics in humans with more than half of global antibiotic use in livestock. AMR is detrimental to animal welfare and adversely impacts agricultural production. The use of antibiotics developed for human use in livestock can contribute to the development of and increase in drug-resistant bacteria, which can then be transmitted from animals to humans via direct contact or through the food chain and the environment in the case of zoonotic pathogens.

There are increasing calls for separate “animal only” drug classes to preserve antibiotics developed for human use and try to curb resistance. Some of the Centre’s projects address this by developing novel compounds with antiprotozoal, antibacterial, and antifungal activity. Other focus on developing treatments that exploit the antimicrobial properties of natural and synthetic materials to improve animal health, including companion animals.