All the latest AMR news and events from SAAFE CRC
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MAY 2026 NEWS
Message from SAAFE Director Dr Tony Peacock, SAAFE Director & Chair, Education & Training Advisory Committee
Welcome to the May edition of AMR News.
This month SAAFE's Board met in Adelaide, giving us the chance to work closely with the leadership team on strategic priorities. A key highlight of our in-person meetings is getting to know our Scholar cohort - this time welcoming SAAFE UTS Scholars Dr Veronica Jarocki and Ophelia Phraphone who are examining the genomics of E. coli, a key pathogen associated with AMR.
SAAFE's Scholar program is designed to equip
the cohort with skills that go well beyond "normal" science training so graduates become increasingly industry-savvy and gain confidence to advocate for AMR as their careers evolve. Speaking to Boards and industry stakeholders requires a different skillset to traditional research presentations and we are pleased to support our Scholars as they develop their ability to communicate excellent research that delivers real-world impact.
Read on to hear from the Scholars about their Adelaide visit.
THIS MONTH
- EDUCATION & TRAINING: Scholars benefitting from bespoke professional development experiences
- MEET: SAAFE Scholar Xiangrui Ding
- EDAR8: The program has been released and earlybird registration closes soon
- EXPLORE: recent AMR news, scientific publications and upcoming events
As always, we love to hear from you. If you have news, achievements, or exciting projects to share, please get in touch. Your stories are what keep our AMR community connected and inspired.
EDUCATION & TRAINING UPDATE
SAAFE UTS Scholars Dr Veronica Jarocki and Ophelia Phraphone recently visited Adelaide to present to the SAAFE Board, strengthen their connections across the Scholar network and build skills to enhance the broader impact of their research.
The program for the visit was planned by E&T Program Manager Dr Lisa Kirkland in collaboration with the Scholars to address their specific capability development goals. Both the Scholars and Directors commented on the value of the experience to highlight how communication, collaboration and industry engagement are helping prepare the next generation of AMR leaders.
Pictured left-right: Alex Lloyd (SAAFE CEO), Julie Orr (Director), Scott Ashby (Director), Ophelia Phraphone (PhD Scholar), Liz Riley (Director), Veronica Jarocki (Fellow), Erica Donner (SAAFE Research Director), The Hon. Karlene Maywald (SAAFE Chair), Kelly Hill (Research Program Mgr), Lisa Kirkland (Ed & Training Program Mgr)
SAAFE SCHOLAR IN FOCUS: Xiangrui Ding
Xiangrui Ding is a PhD student advancing research at the intersection of wastewater treatment and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Based at the University of Technology Sydney, his project has been designed in partnership with WaterRA, South East Water and Sydney Olympic Park Authority and focuses on identifying and regulating key microbial communities that contribute to AMR in the membrane bioreactors used for wastewater treatment and recycling.
His work aims to uncover how specific microbes influence the development and persistence of resistance within these systems, with the goal of improving treatment performance while reducing AMR risks.
AMR OPPORTUNITIES
PhD PROPOSAL APPLICATIONS
SAAFE PhD proposal applications are now open. The SAAFE funding package offers:
- A top-up living allowance scholarship of up to $15k per year for 3.5 years FTE
- A professional development funding package of $21k per candidate for 3 years
Like SAAFE projects, PhD proposals should be driven by an identified industry need. Projects can be submitted under 3 categories:
- Student-proposed project
- University-proposed project
- Co-designed project with university and industry partner
Please contact SAAFE's E&T Program Manager Dr Lisa Kirkland for more information.
RECENT AMR NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
- The Animal Antimicrobial Stewardship Framework from the CSIRO is designed to help Australia’s animal sectors strengthen their response to antimicrobial resistance by improving and verifying their stewardship practices.
- A new report from the Fleming Initiative, Global Consensus on Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Through Education, outlines how to integrate information about AMR, infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship into school and community learning.
- In Investing in Animal Health to Curb AMR, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is calling for private and public funding to carry out its 5-year AMR roadmap.
- WOAH, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization have established the Joint One Health Learning Taskforce, designed to equip workforces with the competencies needed to tackle complex health threats at the human–animal–environment interface.
SAAFE's research team has curated a selection of recent publications that may be of interest to our AMR community.
- Doyle C, Wall K, Fanning S, McMahon BJ. Making sense of sentinels: wildlife as the One Health bridge for environmental antimicrobial resistance surveillance. J Appl Microbiol. 2025 Jan 6;136(1):lxaf017.
- Beauvais WA, Agga GE, Arthur T, Schmidt JW, Jennings R, Ivanek R. Interventions Targeting the Beef Feedlot Environment to Control Antimicrobial Resistance: A Mathematical Modelling Study. Zoonoses Public Health. 2026 Jun;73(4):358-369. doi: 10.1111/zph.70054. Epub 2026 Apr 10.
- Hu H, Qu Z, Liu Y, Zhu L, Mei Z, Chen XL. AI-driven fungicide design: From target identification to field application. Plant Commun. 2026 May 11;7(5):101850. doi: 10.1016/j.xplc.2026.101850. Epub 2026 Apr 11.
- Della-Negra O, Bru-Adan V, Patureau D, Ait-Mouheb N, Wéry N. Tracking antibiotic resistance genes and microbiome shifts under reclaimed wastewater irrigation: Root-associated selective modulation. J Environ Manage. 2026 Apr 1;405:129707. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129707.
EDAR8 UPDATE
We were delighted to release the EDAR8 program earlier this month, following the review of more than 400 abstract submissions from researchers in 53 countries. The program brings together a diverse and multi-sectoral line-up of presentations and workshops exploring the environmental dimensions of AMR. Visit our website to explore the program.
Earlybird registrations close soon, so it's a great time to confirm your plans to join us in Brisbane from 2-7 August.
In addition to a stimulating and thought-provoking program, we're planning plenty of opportunities to renew or grow your AMR connections through our social program - including the conference gala dinner at the iconic Brisbane Town Hall.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please visit our conferences and meetings page for more details about the below industry and partner events.
- OzWater 26 - 28 May 2026, Brisbane, Queensland
- HortConnections 1-4 June 2026, Adelaide, SA
- World Congress of Soil Science 7-12 June 2026, Nanjing, China
- Australian Society of Microbiology National Meeting 15-18 June 2026, Adelaide, SA
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