REDTEAR - H2020 (MSCA-IF-EF-ST)(VERBANIA) (DTA.AD002.661)
Thematic area
Earth system science and environmental technologies
Project area
Gestione sostenibile ed efficiente delle risorse naturali, degli ecosistemi e della biodiversità (DTA.AD002)Structure responsible for the research project
Water research institute (IRSA)
Project manager
ANDREA DICESARE
Phone number: 0323 518300
Email: andrea.dicesare@irsa.cnr.it
Abstract
Free extracellular DNA (FED) is DNA dissolved in waters and in soils, where it arrives after being excreted by living organisms or following the disruption of living cells. FED can be the most prominent fraction of DNA in waters subjected to strong disturbances, where the mortality rate of microorganisms is high, e.g. wastewater treatment plants effluents. FED are composed by a variety of DNA fragments including resistance genes and mobile elements. There are early evidences than FED can represent a very important, although neglected, source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment, where the bacterial community can access FED and incorporate extracellular DNA by horizontal gene transfer.If this process will be confirmed and quantified by dedicated researches, our understanding of the cycle of antibiotic resistances into the environment and back to human pathogens could change dramatically, calling for a whole rethinking of the wastewater treatments nowadays applied. The Project REDTEAR will tackle the issue and will clarify the role of FED in the spread and the persistence of ARGs in open waters in central Europe.
Start date of activity
01/10/2021
Keywords
REDTEAR, MARIE CURIE, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTOME
Last update: 25/04/2024