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 (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering water treatment processes wastewater treatment processes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs antibiotics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
17003 Girona
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.