Descrizione del progetto
Uno sguardo più attento ai batteriofagi e alla resistenza agli antibiotici
La resistenza agli antibiotici può derivare da fonti ambientali, quali il suolo, l’acqua e gli alimenti. Questi sono i luoghi in cui i batteri sono esposti agli antibiotici o agli agenti antimicrobici. Con il sostegno del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska Curie, il progetto PHASTER esplorerà la presenza, la diversità e l’abbondanza dei batteriofagi nell’ambiente per comprendere i meccanismi e i fattori che promuovono la resistenza agli antibiotici. La ricerca è alquanto tempestiva, considerati i recenti studi che suggeriscono che la resistenza agli antibiotici individuata in contesti clinici possa derivare da fonti ambientali. Nello specifico, PHASTER indagherà sulle fonti dei geni di resistenza agli antibiotici, la loro distribuzione ambientale e il modo in cui gli input antropogenici ne condizionano la diffusione. Verranno impiegati approcci di metagenomica e bioinformatica e saranno condotti esperimenti sui mesocosmi. I risultati del progetto forniranno informazioni sulle strategie sanitarie.
Obiettivo
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.
Campo scientifico
- 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
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-PF - MSCA-PFCoordinatore
17003 Girona
Spagna