| Project Detail |
The secret behind a successful pathogenic bacteria lies on achieving the perfect balance between virulence and resistance. Virulence genes (VGs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be co-localized in the same mobile genetic element, and thus can be transmitted together in a single horizontal gene transfer event. In the last decades, the number of bacteria carrying VGs and ARGs has increased significantly, and their dissemination is amongst the greatest global threats to human health. These genes are released into the environment during the discharge of treated wastewater and via the recycling of organic waste products. Considering that human, animal, and environment health are interconnected under the One Health concept, limiting their dissemination into the environment by implementing effective waste/wastewater treatment technologies is a major option for limiting the emergence of these pathogens. Despite the research efforts focused on ARGs, the spread of VGs has barely been studied, omitting a huge problem that cannot be separated from antimicrobial resistance. This proposal will address both fundamental and applied aspects of the problematic. Fundamentally, this proposal will provide a more comprehensive overview of the diversity of VGs (and their co-occurrence with ARGs) in the wastewater treatment network and will study their (co)transferability within complex microbial communities. In addition, this project will study, for the first time, the fate of VGs (and their co-occurrence with ARGs) during/after waste/wastewater treatment, also assessing the impact of different operational parameters on their mitigation. Particular attention will be paid to the impact that potential approaches allowing resource recovery (e.g. nutrient and carbon recovery through manure/sludge application as fertiliser) on VGs/ARGs dissemination. With the emergence of superbugs being one of the main human health threats that we face, the importance of this proposal is obvious. |
