Occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and -resistance genes (ARGs) in environment and foods is well established. Fresh produce is of special relevance, as it comes into contact with a broad variety of environmental potential contamination sources during production (e.g., irrigation water or soil), and is usually consumed raw or after minimal processing, increasing the chances of ARB/ARG to reach the consumer’s gastrointestinal tract.
This ongoing collaboration with the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University covers various aspects of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research related to foods:

1. transmission routes and persistence of AMR in fresh produce,
2. novel and rapid MS-based detection of ARB (proteomics approach),
3. novel antimicrobials and related resistance mechanisms.