Project description
A closer look at bacteriophages and antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance can emerge from environmental sources, such as soil, water and food. This is where bacteria are exposed to antibiotics or antimicrobial agents. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions programme, the PHASTER project will explore the presence, diversity, and abundance of bacteriophages in the environment to understand the mechanisms and factors that promote antibiotic resistance. This is timely, considering recent studies suggest that antibiotic resistance found in clinical settings may emerge from environmental sources. Specifically, PHASTER will investigate the sources of antibiotic resistance genes, their environmental distribution, and how anthropogenic inputs affect their spread. Metagenomics and bioinformatics approaches will be used, and mesocosm experiments will be conducted. The project’s findings will inform public health strategies.
Objective
Although antibiotic resistance is a major and growing public health concern, surveillance for the expansion of this phenomenon in environmental settings has not been fully explored. However, recent studies suggest that antibiotic resistance found in clinical settings may emerge from environmental sources. In fact, the environment is continually exposed to a wide variety of antimicrobials and their metabolites through wastewater treatment plant discharges, agricultural runoff, and animal feeding operations, which may contribute to the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. It is therefore necessary to understand the mechanisms and factors that promote antibiotic resistance. The PHASTER project aims at exploring the presence, diversity, and abundance of bacteriophages in the environment. Particular points of interest will be the study of bacteriophages that lead to the mobilization of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their interaction with antibiotic compounds, even at extremely low concentrations, similar to those found in some aquatic environments. Mesocosm experiments will also be conducted to examine how bacterial communities respond to the presence of bacteriophages harbouring ARGs under stressful conditions, such as exposure to antibiotics. In order to reach these goals, a combination of metagenomics and bioinformatics approaches will be used to investigate the sources of ARGs, their environmental distribution and how anthropogenic inputs affect their spread. A better understanding of the mechanisms and factors that contribute to antibiotic resistance will permit the implementation of appropriate public health strategies, policies, and mitigation programs. Special attention will also be devoted to dissemination so that stakeholders and policy makers can benefit from PHASTER.
Fields of science
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic health
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistanceantibiotic resistance
- agricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedomestic animalsanimal husbandryanimal feed
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
MSCA-PF - MSCA-PFCoordinator
17003 Girona
Spain