Research

It is vital to understand the contribution of resident intestinal bacteria to the environmental flow of antimicrobial resistance genes. We will isolate resistant commensal bacteria from diverse sources, assess the co-carriage of heavy metal resistance genes on mobile genetic elements, compare identical resistance genes between non-harmful and pathogenic bacteria, and investigate the impact selective pressure has on gene evolution and transfer.

The aim of this project is to identify how the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) drivers affect key parts of Scotland’s biodiversity.

This project increases our understanding of the impacts of land-based public funding mechanisms on land values and related outcomes for landownership diversification and land use. It provides an evidence base for understanding whether current funding mechanisms have direct or indirect effects which act to reduce landownership diversification and for investigating potential mechanisms for counteracting any such effects.

This project is increasing our understanding of the impacts of land-based funding mechanisms on land values, and related outcomes for landownership diversification and land use change. It incorporates regional case studies and qualitative, quantitative and spatial analysis methods to provide recommendations for policy interventions and land-based funding models, which are aligned with both land use and land reform policy.

This project investigates how age, grazing management, early life events and tolerance to parasites affects livestock productivity and associated environmental impact.

This project is developing tools and a framework to serve as the basis for future reviewing of the resilience of supply chains. These tools are used to understand the vulnerabilities and strengths within the Scottish food and drink supply chain – as a whole and sub-industry specific. The supply chains we are considering are pigs, beef, dairy and potatoes. Finally, within each supply chain, the project is identifying practical applications of the framework to demonstrate the value of investment and novel forms of intervention.

This project is increasing our understanding of increasing production and use of Scotland’s fruit and vegetables through a multidisciplinary, systems-led approach examining production, supply and distribution. The project focuses on scientific practices underpinning sustainable agroecology and draw in external stakeholders and socio-technical innovations along food supply chains.

Foodborne pathogen infections and antimicrobial resistance are real health crises. The first aim of this project is to identify specific non-harmful bacteria isolated from livestock and the environment that can inhibit growth of a range of pathogens, in order to interrupt the spread of foodborne pathogens across a range of different environments. The second aim is to screen genome sequences from our collection of Campylobacter strains and non-harmful gut bacterial isolates to identify identical genes, and understand their role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance through the environment.

Changing human behaviour is central to achieve the highest possible standards of welfare. This project is addressing this by enhancing our understanding of behaviour, and by developing human behaviour change interventions to improve animal welfare.

This project develops the science and skills needed to work in an ‘agile’ way with policymakers and stakeholders on computer modelling at the whole-of-Scotland scale. We are working on a framework for monitoring soils; mapping our land capability and how it is affected by climate change; and simulating the effects of agricultural payments, trade, and technology change on rural businesses.