The central aim of MISTAR is to implement and quantify the effect of novel intervention strategies based on the preservation of the “healthy microbiota” to eradicate and control the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
We will do this using a One Health approach that involves hospitalized patients, healthy humans, pets, farm animals and the environment. In MISTAR we will follow three main approaches to control the spread of AMR. (i) Intervene with the gut microbiota either by prioritizing potential interventions based of microbiota composition indices/diagnostic tools or by using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to modulate the gut microbiota to reduce and possibly avoid the colonization of and further infections by multidrug resistance pathogens. (ii) Intervene with airborne dust-bound spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) between pets and humans in households, farm animals and hospitalized patients by applying air purifiers to remove these microorganisms from the air. Finally, we will (iii) develop novel innovative intervention approaches aimed at specifically targeting ARB in complex microbial communities, like the intestinal tract and sewage.
MISTAR will bring perspectives on novel interventions to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance that can readily be integrated into existing organisational structures that are also applicable in low-and-middle income countries, and innovative technologies, which needs investment.
Project partners
- Marcel de Zoete, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands (Coordinator)
- Teresa M. Coque, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Spain
- Surbhi Malhotra- Kumar, University of Antwerp, Belgium
- Stineke van Houte, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
- Willem van Schaik, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Alex Bossers, Utrecht University, Netherlands
- Ilana Lopes Baratella da Cunha Camargo, University of São Paulo, Brazil
