We asked AMR experts and EDAR8 Scientific Committee Members to weigh in on the issue.

Recent methodological advances have transformed our ability to detect and quantify AMR pathogens and resistance determinants across clinical, agricultural and environmental settings.

However, as Assistant Professor Sotirios Vasileiadis of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, and EDAR8 Scientific Program Committee member notes, “A critical challenge remains: the capacity of even the most contemporary approaches to unequivocally capture the relevant AMR related microbial diversity in complex environments.”

For example, shotgun metagenomics screening of environmental biomes is currently tested in the forefront of molecular microbial epidemiology, but, in its bulk format, it can only "capture the tip of the AMR iceberg" in complex environments.

Targeted analysis of metagenomes, however, offers the important capacity to focus on relevant fractions of microbial communities in situ. Yet, most of the associated methods - such as epicPCR, Hi C–based methods, and quasi metagenomic workflows - are often labour intensive, costly, and limited in their capacity to deliver robust quantitative data at scale.

This represents a key bottleneck, as Hazard Analysis, Risk Assessment, and the development of regulatory frameworks ultimately depend on precise and reproducible quantitative monitoring of high-risk agents, including pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).

Despite substantial global investment in AMR and environmental epidemiology research, recent technological innovations, such as probe capture–based sequencing of environmental DNA, together with data‑driven analyses and AI‑enabled interpretation, are redefining what is possible.

Advances in omics technologies, informatics, and analytical pipelines are accelerating AMR surveillance while improving sensitivity, specificity, and scalability. The next phase of progress will depend not only on the development of new tools, but on how effectively they are integrated across disciplines.

Achieving this requires strong collaboration between environmental microbiologists, engineers, and bioinformaticians to develop fit for purpose methods capable of uncovering relevant microbial diversity across diverse environments.

Partnerships with biotechnology companies will be equally critical, enabling the development of sequencing library preparation kits and analytical workflows that focus on meaningful biological signals while addressing the persistent challenge of moving beyond qualitative or semi quantitative outputs.

These cross-sector conversations sit at the heart of EDAR8 - bringing together researchers, technologists, industry, and regulators to explore how omics, informatics, and AI can shape the future of AMR detection, surveillance, and risk assessment.