WWTPs: a source of antibiotic resistance genes

22 02 2025

On Monday 24th of February at 2 pm in room 102B, Anna Rokowska from the Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology will give a seminar entitled Role of Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Genes in Aquatic Ecosystems.

Abstract:

The rise in antibiotic resistance is intensifying due to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence genes (VGs) across various environments, also in aquatic settings. Our study draws attention to communal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as critical sources of these genes. WWTPs produce substantial amount of extracellular DNA (exDNA) carrying ARGs and VGs associated with mobile genetic elements (MGE), thus possibly aiding their spread in aquatic ecosystems.

We conducted a seasonal study to assess metropolitan WWTPs’ impact on the resistome and plasmidome of river sediments. Results revealed seasonal variations in ARG and MGE abundance, demonstrating wastewater discharge’s potential influence on microbial communities and horizontal gene transfer dynamics.

Our ongoing study investigates WWTP-originated exDNA fate in artificial aquatic microcosms containing filter feeders. Furthermore, we continue developing microfluidics techniques combined with single-genome analysis to better detect horizontal gene transfer events.

Interdisciplinary approach advances our understanding of antibiotic resistance dynamics and contributes to the development of strategies for mitigating its spread in aquatic environments.