Heavy metal resistance in E. coli isolated from pigs
This project will explore resistance to heavy metals in an Australia-wide collection of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from pigs.
Zinc and other heavy metals such as copper are often used as an alternative to treating post-weaning diarrhoea in pigs.
Resistance to multiple antimicrobials is often a feature of Australian isolates of porcine ETEC and this project will explore evidence for co-selection of both heavy metal and antibiotic resistance on multidrug-resistance-encoding plasmids.
The successful applicant will be encouraged to apply for a Pork CRC or APL Honours scholarship. This project will be located at the School of Biological Sciences in the Molecular Life Science building, North Terrace campus.
Supervisors
Co-supervisor: Dr Sam Abraham - Murdoch University
Research area: Pathobiology, infectious disease and public health; antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary pathogens; Australian Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Ecology (ACARE).
Recommended honours enrolment: Honours in Animal Science