The two-year project entitled “Beta-Lactam Resistant Strain Replacement of Zoonotic Streptococcus suis in Slaughtered Pigs from Thailand: Global Risks to Food Security and Public Health”, led by Dr. Lucy A. Weinert, Principal Investigator from the University of Cambridge, UK, in partnership with Dr. Suganya Yongkiettrakul, Principal Researcher at BIOTEC, NSTDA, has been awarded £79,509.60 under the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF).
This interdisciplinary project focuses on the prevalence and genomic epidemiology of Streptococcus suis—a zoonotic pathogen commonly found in pigs—and aims to uncover the genetic mechanisms driving beta-lactam resistance in Thai isolates. The research will also investigate how these resistance traits spread within pig populations, posing potential risks to both animal and human health.
The project seeks to strengthen antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance capabilities in Thailand, inform treatment practices in both veterinary and human medicine, and provide evidence-based insights for policymakers, farmers, and public health stakeholders.
This collaboration underscores BIOTEC’s role in leveraging international partnerships to advance scientific research and reflects its commitment to addressing global health and food security challenges through advanced biotechnology.