** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE RISE IN ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IS AN EMERGING GLOBAL PROBLEM AFFECTING HUMAN, ANIMAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. THIS INCREASE MAY BE DUE, IN PART, TO THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND THE WIDESPREAD USE OF NON-THERAPEUTIC ANTIMICROBIAL GROWTH PROMOTANTS LEADING TO DECREASED EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT ANTIBIOTICS AGAINST HUMAN AND ANIMAL DISEASES. UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGY OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENE POOLS WITHIN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND ITS EFFECT ON MICROBIAL ECOLOGY WITHIN HOST SPECIES IS CRITICAL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE EMERGENCE AND SPREAD OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE FROM A ONE HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. THEREFORE, A CRITICAL GAP EXISTS IN UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGY, EMERGENCE, AND TRANSMISSION OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN THE PORK INDUSTRY, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE LACK OF INVESTIGATIONS FOCUSING ON PLASMIDS OR OTHER INTEGRATIVE AND COGNITIVE ELEMENTS, THE HOTSPOTS FOR ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR) GENES THAT LEAD TO THE EMERGENCE OF AMR AMONG MICROBIAL POPULATIONS. THIS PROJECT, INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTIC USE ON THE ECOLOGY OF THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITY, AMR GENE PREVALENCE, ENRICHMENT, AND TRANSMISSION BY EVALUATING THE MOBILE GENETIC ELEMENTS AND THE MICROBIOME IN THE SWINE PRODUCTION SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY, THIS STUDY WILL DEVELOP NEW TOOLS TO IDENTIFY HOST-PLASMID ASSOCIATIONS AND HOST RANGE OF PLASMIDS TO PREDICT EMERGING AMR BACTERIA. ADDITIONALLY, THIS STUDY WILL EVALUATE AN ESSENTIAL OIL IDENTIFIED BY THIS TEAM FOR NURSERY PIGS AND DEVELOP SCIENCE-BASED INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE ANTIBIOTIC USE AND MITIGATE EMERGENCE OF AMR AND EFFECT CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT THROUGH OUTREACH. THIS WORK IS EXPECTED TO TRANSLATE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT REDUCE ANTIMICROBIAL USE AND ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH NETWORK THAT WILL IMPROVE THE CAPACITY NATIONWIDE TO ASSESS PRODUCER AND CONSUMER AMR-RELATED FOOD SAFETY NEEDS, AND TO DEVELOP, DELIVER AND EVALUATE OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT WILL HELP PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS TO ASSESS AND ADOPT PRACTICES THAT MITIGATE POTENTIAL RISKS FROM FOOD-BORNE AMR.