The main objectives of the project are: 1) Make use of the genetic diversity of ESC resistance determinants, associated mobile genetic elements, and of bacterial strains to identify similarities and differences between ecological niches. 2) Use a combination of molecular evolutionary analyses of genome sequences and of ESC resistance plasmids, and epidemiological data to assess directionality of flux between niches. 3) Conduct in vivo experiments to test the validity of hypotheses regarding within host transmission of ESC resistance determinants between bacterial species and strains. 4) Investigate interactions between plasmid factors as well as chromosomal factors using detailed plasmid annotation and proteomics/transcriptomics to identify novel potential intervention strategies for the control of AMR.

The project is part of a transnational research collaboration under the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR). The collaboration involves scientists from the UK, Germany, France and Canada working together on a solution to this research question. The funding measure pursues the aim of bringing together relevant research groups with complementary expertise and resources from the participating countries. Cooperative research approaches will achieve progress in preventing, monitoring and combating antibiotic resistance which could not be achieved on a national level.