The Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA) of the University of Padova seeks project ideas to join and support as partner!

With particular reference to the call HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-ENVHLTH-01, the research activities involve a multidisciplinary team.

The integrated research area includes expertise in molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), environmental microbiology, pharmaceutical uptake, and advanced analytical chemistry.

The team is composed of academic staff, a senior researcher, PhD candidates, a technician specialised in liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‑MS), and a researcher focusing on drug metabolism.

Research activities focus on the molecular epidemiology of bacteria of animal and environmental origin, especially zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant strains. Participation in initiatives such as EUPAHW strengthens the group’s contribution to surveillance and One Health‑aligned risk assessment.

Parallel activities investigate the uptake and distribution of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in different plant species, with preliminary results highlighting species‑specific and chemical‑dependent differences in absorption. These studies enhance understanding of contaminant fate across soil–plant systems and environmental exposure pathways.

Together, these two research lines provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to environmental health, contaminant dynamics and AMR

 The department share a strong interest in expanding research on:

• Understanding and anticipating the impacts of climate change on health, particularly through changes in pathogen ecology, environmental contamination and resistance evolution.

• Exploring soil as a reservoir of contaminants and resistance genes, examining how climate‑driven environmental changes influence microbial dynamics and contaminant persistence.

• Analysing interactions between soil characteristics, contaminants (including pharmaceuticals) and microbial communities, to assess how environmental shifts affect AMR and ecological stability.

These research directions enable synergies with experts in soil chemistry, environmental modelling, ecology, plant physiology, water treatment, and climate‑health coupling.

They also align naturally with interdisciplinary One Health networks focusing on integrated environmental and biological risk assessment.