Reducing antibiotic usage in animal feed is not enough to combat antibiotic resistance Oxford research shows antibiotic resistance continues despite reduction of antibiotic use. The new study indicates the importance of understanding the regulatory evolution of resistance genes to strategically combat AMR. In 2017, the Chinese government banned the use of last-line antibiotic colistin as a growth promotor in animal feed in response to the rapid spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria- Escherichia coli (E.coli) carrying mobile colistin resistance (MCR) genes. Simply put, it is not enough to reduce antibiotic consumption in order to effectively combat antibiotic resistance. We need urgent and innovative approaches to combat antibiotic resistance, and new strategies to protect our last-resort antibiotics for when we need them most."