Leveraging the Microbial Sciences to Advance National Preparedness and Response Capacity for AR/HAI and Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases - This project seeks to strengthen the United States’ ability to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging and reemerging pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and healthcare-associated infections (HAI) by improving how CDC guidance is informed by front-line providers, disseminated, and widely adopted in real-world settings. Despite significant scientific advances, gaps persist in awareness, accessibility, and implementation of CDC guidance, particularly across diverse healthcare environments such as hospitals, laboratories, and long-term care settings. Additionally, promising innovations such as wastewater surveillance and microbiome-based interventions are underutilized due to limited standardization and unclear pathways for adoption. To address these challenges, ASM will partner with CDC to ensure that guidance is not only scientifically sound but also effectively communicated, responsive to frontline needs, and implemented at scale. ASM proposes to enhance the adoption of CDC guidance through a portfolio-based communication strategy, stakeholder engagement, and expert working groups. ASM will promote adoption of innovative tools such as wastewater surveillance by identifying barriers, developing standards, and sharing best practices. ASM proposes to address AMR/HAI by expanding the reach and use of CDC resources through webinars, publications, and partnerships. ASM will advance microbiome application to AMR by developing guidance, conducting surveys, and creating a roadmap for integrating microbiome interventions into clinical practice. In partnership with Project HOPE, ASM will convert CDC guidance into practical, field-ready tools, deliver training and technical assistance, and support coordinated implementation during public health emergencies. This project will bridge the gap between scientific guidance and frontline implementation, ensuring that CDC’s evidence-based recommendations are effectively used in practice, and ultimately strengthening U.S. health system resilience, improving outbreak readiness, and reducing the impact of infectious diseases nationwide. Across all components, ASM will leverage its national network of experts, communication platforms (journals, conferences, webinars), and partnerships to connect CDC guidance with frontline providers and systems. The expected outcomes of this project are: Increased dissemination and adoption of CDC guidance among frontline providers, leading to expanded use of evidence-based prevention and control practices; greater standardization and use of wastewater surveillance; improved alignment of guidance with clinical and community needs; increased awareness and integration of microbiome-based interventions; development of standardized tools and best practices to combat AMR; faster translation of CDC guidance into actionable tools during emergencies; improved coordination, situational awareness, and adaptive response capacity.
