A ground-breaking South Australian scientific research program to tackle antibiotic resistance is expanding globally.

The joint industry tertiary study has won a federal grant and enlisted the support of a prestigious overseas university to find a natural solution to one of the world’s biggest health challenges.

Successful initial testing by researchers from the University of South Australia and Adelaide-based biological fertiliser company Neutrog Australia uncovered the potential of soil-based weapons to target the issue of antibiotic resistance at its source.

The local researchers have now been awarded a $500,000 Australian Research Council grant to progress the study and identify ‘super-charged’ microbes that could hold the key to solving an issue affecting the global agricultural industry and wider community.

They have also been joined by world-renowned scientist Professor Dan Staerk from the University of Copenhagen as part of a three-way collaborative research effort.

Antibiotic resistance is listed by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 public health threats facing humanity.

It is a critical issue impacting the health of animals and workers in intensive farming operations across the world. Antibiotic resistance has also become a major roadblock to the effective treatment of many infectious diseases within the wider population, with UTIs being one of the most prevalent, particularly among women.

Through its own processing and testing of poultry manure to make biological fertiliser, Neutrog’s R&D team has established a substantial bank of microbes that exhibit a unique and natural ability to inhibit and suppress bacterial pathogens.

“With this grant and enhanced research muscle, we can up the ante in our fight against antibiotic resistance,” Head of R&D at Neutrog, Dr Uwe Stroeher said.

“From our collection of over 5,000 soil microbes, we’ll be putting 2,000+ to the test with the aim to identify those that make a real impact.

“Ultimately the end game is to formulate, prove and then commercialise a sustainable, biological driven alternative to the use of antibiotics in intensive farming around the world.”

UniSA Head of Microbiology, Professor Rietie Venter, says the research team was focused on providing a “One Health” solution to antibiotic resistance.

“This is a holistic approach to tackling a critical issue across the interconnected sectors of animal health, environmental health, and human health,” Assoc Prof Venter said.