Combating the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in Urban Water Systems (2017-2021)
Abstract
Despite the growing threat from antibiotic resistance, this phenomenon has not been well studied in natural and engineered environments. This projects aims to comprehensively investigate the occurrence, diversity, and transformation of antibiotic resistance genes in the entire urban water cycle. Using the latest metagenomic and analytical tools, critical knowledge gaps on the fate and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in urban water systems will be addressed. The mechanisms of acquisition, transfer and reduction of antibiotic resistance genes in different microbial populations will be investigated and effective control strategies for water, wastewater and sludge treatment processes will be developed.
