Germs like viruses and bacteria are a constant threat to both people and animals. In the Canadian prairies, which are a major farming region, we still don’t fully understand how these germs spread between humans, animals, and the environment. Even though new rules are helping reduce the use of antibiotics in farming, animals still get more antibiotics than people. This can lead to germs that become resistant to treatment, which is a serious concern.
To better understand and track these germs and resistance genes, scientists need to test water, livestock, and natural areas more thoroughly. A new method called environmental DNA (eDNA) makes this easier—it’s fast, affordable, and very accurate. It helps scientists detect tiny traces of germs and understand where they come from and how they spread.
This project brings together experts from different fields to solve practical problems, like figuring out where delays happen in testing and how well rare germs can be detected. They also want to understand what happens where farms, cities, and nature meet.
The goal is to make these DNA tools easy to use and affordable for health labs across Canada. Over two years, the team will test these methods in prairie regions to help labs adopt them for long-term use, improving how we monitor and respond to disease threats.
