TARGetAMR has published an opinion piece in The Lancet Microbe, outlining how microbial genomics can help deliver the UK Government’s National Action Plan (NAP) for confronting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2024–29.
The article brings together insights from our national stakeholder workshop hosted in June 2025. As a UKRI funded transdisciplinary network across the Universities of Cambridge, Birmingham, Strathclyde, and Oxford, we work at the intersection of science, clinical practice, public health, policy, ethics, and public engagement. Through this work, we aim to unlock the full potential of genomics in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Members of the TARGetAMR leadership team co-authored the paper, including Co-Directors Professor Kate Baker (University of Cambridge) and Professor Willem van Schaik (University of Birmingham). In addition, experts from across the AMR community contributed to the work.
Why We Published This Article
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) remains one of the most serious global health threats and was associated with nearly five million deaths worldwide in 2019. In response, the UK’s new National Action Plan (NAP) sets out nine strategic outcomes across four themes. These include infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship to innovation and global partnership.
Although the NAP recognises microbial genomics as an enabling technology in the NAP, its role has not been previously defined. Therefore, this study is the first to map genomics systematically against the plan’s specific goals and research priorities.
What Our Findings Show
“Our work shows that genomics can be a cornerstone of the UK’s response to antimicrobial resistance. It can track hospital outbreaks and inform infection prevention and control. It can also support antimicrobial stewardship and accelerate innovation in diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. As a result, genomics provides tools that make previously invisible transmission pathways visible.”
said Professor Kate Baker, Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, co-Director of TARGetAMR and corresponding author of the study.
Following our national workshop and cross sector discussions, TARGetAMR identified several priority areas. In these areas microbial genomics can have both immediate and long-term impact:
- Strengthening surveillance through more sensitive and rapid detection of resistant pathogens
- Improving antimicrobial stewardship by guiding targeted, evidence-based prescribing
- Accelerating innovation in diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines
- Informing policy and implementation by aligning genomic evidence with public health and healthcare system needs
In addition, the paper also maps genomic approaches to the ten priority research questions identified in the UK NAP. These include understanding the cost of AMR, addressing health inequalities, preventing spread, and ensuring that evidence-based interventions are effectively implemented.
Infrastructure, Data, and Workforce: The Next Steps
Professor van Schaik, based at the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham and co-Director of TARGetAMR, said:
“The UK has world-leading expertise in microbial genomics. However, genomics still ‘flies under the radar’ in the current NAP. As a result, its full potential is not yet realised. To address this, we need coordinated infrastructure and improved data-sharing frameworks. We also need workforce training and closer collaboration between researchers, clinicians, policymakers and industry. Therefore, this publication sets out a roadmap for how genomics can move from a promising technology to a key pillar of the UK’s response to antimicrobial resistance.”
Embedding Ethics and Public Engagement
TARGetAMR’s approach is grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration, including ethical and social perspectives.
“By engaging with questions about how microbial genomics can support delivery of the UK NAP, we also consider how microbial genomics should (ethically) be developed and used. In particular, we consider how it can inform health policy decisions and future health interventions. We engaged with a wide group of stakeholders to have these in-depth conversations. As a result, we aim to ensure that we’re advocating for using these technologies in the right ways and for the right goals.”
said Co-author Dr Tess Johnson, an ethicist at the Ethox Centre, University of Oxford and Associate Director of TARGetAMR.
However, implementation remains a critical challenge. For example, key barriers include costs, turnaround times, data integration, and inequities in global access to genomic technologies.
Therefore, the paper calls for sustained investment and strengthened cross-sector partnerships. It also calls for greater engagement with humanities scholars, social scientists and the public. Together, these steps will help ensure genomic innovation is both ethically acceptable as well as effective.
Strengthening the UK’s AMR Response Through Genomic Insight
By aligning cutting-edge science with policy priorities, TARGetAMR aims to position the UK’s thriving genomics community at the centre of AMR action. Ultimately, this approach will support measurable progress against antimicrobial resistance by 2029.
The full article, “The role of microbial genomics in delivering the UK’s national action plan for confronting antimicrobial resistance 2024–29,” is published in The Lancet Microbe.
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