REDUCING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE DISSEMINATION IN BROILER CHICKENS USING PHYTOCHEMICALS

This project aims to mitigate antimcirobial resistance (AMR) in the poultry production continuum using in-feed supplementation of phytochemcials in poultry feed. Specifically, the objectives of this proposal are (1) To investigate the effect of select phytochemicals on horizontal gene transfer of β-lactamase gene (blaTEM) from MDR S. Heidelberg to commensal bacteria in the chicken gut (2)To develop and apply Hi-C sequencing and metagenomics foranalyzingthepersistence and extent of spread of AMR genetic elements in the cecal gut microbiota of broilers that are supplemented with the select phytochemicals.