There are two main goals for EMBARK. The first is to establish a baseline for how common resistance is in the environment and what resistance types that can be expected where. That background data will then underpin the second goal, which is to standardize different methods for resistance surveillance and identify high-priority target that should be used for efficient monitoring. In addition, EMBARK will develop and evaluate methods to detect new resistance factors and thereby provide an early-warning system for emerging resistance threats.

EMBARK will produce a new monitoring scheme that will be designed so that it can be used modularly depending on the available resources, leading to more efficient use of money and time and enabling environmental monitoring of resistance where it might be most needed, namely in low-income countries with poor hygiene standards. Establishing a coherent monitoring scheme is a key factor for efficient monitoring, and this in turn is essential to limit resistance development in the future. EMBARK takes a one-health approach to understand and control antibiotic resistance also outside of the healthcare setting.

Hear EMBARK coordinator Johan Bengtsson-Palme talk about the project in this video released by JPIAMR.