Integrons in Arctic Air: Exploring the drivers behind integron diversity in the Arctic atmosphere and integron integrase gene expression under simulated atmospheric conditions.

Descripción del proyecto

Lucha contra la resistencia a los antibióticos en las aguas residuales

Los microbios transportados por el aire son invisibles, pero pueden recorrer grandes distancias. Sin embargo, los científicos saben poco sobre su papel en la propagación de la resistencia a los antibióticos. A diferencia de los ecosistemas del suelo o del agua, la atmósfera ha seguido siendo un punto ciego en la investigación microbiológica. Con el apoyo de las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, el proyecto IntegrAAir se centrará en los integrones, los elementos genéticos que ayudan a las bacterias a adquirir y propagar resistencias. Los investigadores utilizan cámaras de simulación atmosférica de última generación para estudiar si la aerosolización provoca cambios genéticos. Uno de los focos de atención es el Ártico, donde el impacto humano es mínimo, para comprender mejor la dinámica microbiana natural. El equipo de IntegrAAir pretende profundizar en el conocimiento de la ecología microbiana y anticipar mejor los riesgos para la salud humana y medioambiental.

Objetivo

In the current context of the “One-Health” concept, the importance of assessing and monitoring microbial biodiversity and ecology in all environmental compartments is becoming increasingly apparent. However, although the atmosphere participates in worldwide dispersal of microorganisms and their genetic material, it has been relatively little studied compared to freshwater, marine and soil ecosystems. Recently, concerns have been raised about the atmospheric dispersal of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). Interestingly, ARGs are part of integrons, important bacterial genomic elements that facilitate the dispersal and acquisition of genetic material. In this context, the main objective of the two-year IntegrAAir project is to assess the ecodynamic of integrons in the atmosphere and assess their impacts on human and ecosystems health. It relies on the hypothesis that aerosolization can impact integron dynamic by inducing the integron integrase gene expression and thus mobilizing new genetic elements from the environmental gene pool. In order to respond to this hypothesis, two main sub-objectives are planned: (i) Understand the drivers behind integron complexity in the Arctic boundary layer using an omics approach, the Arctic being an ideal environment to attempt to focus primarily on environmental integrons, as it is little impacted by anthropogenic sources; (ii) Understand whether aerosolization can affect integron dynamics (gene gain and loss). We will investigate the integron integrase gene expression under simulated atmospheric conditions, using unique atmospheric chambers developed by the host research team. Overall, the project will provide new insights in the fields of aeromicrobiology and microbial ecology, as well as for public health, with regard to the impact of atmospheric transport on bacterial evolution and adaptation, and integron ecology in an environmental context.