Experts from the University of Nottingham have developed new software which combines DNA sequencing and machine learning to help them find where, and to what extent, antibiotic resistant bacteria is being transmitted between humans, animals and the environment. The study, which is published in PLOS Computational Biology, was led by Dr. Tania Dottorini from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University. Anthropogenic environments (spaces created by humans), such as areas of intensive livestock farming, are seen as ideal breeding grounds for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistant genes, which are capable of infecting humans and carrying resistance to drugs used in human medicine. This can have huge implications for how certain illnesses and infections can be treated effectively. In this new study, a team of experts looked at a large scale commercial poultry farm in China, and collected 154 samples from animals, carcasses, workers and their households and environments.