What to do if antibiotics pollute the environment? My scholar proposes a solution
The latest discoveries and innovations
Science and Technology Daily News (Reporter Li Liyun) A reporter recently learned from Harbin Institute of Technology that the team of Professor Guo Wanqian from the School of Environment of the school has for the first time systematically explored the impact of potential antibiotic stress, anaerobic sludge microbial physiological functions and community changes on the migration and transformation of resistance genes , Put forward the mechanism of the development and regulation of microbial resistance genes in the anaerobic sludge mixed system, which provides a useful idea for the control of the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in the future, and provides a new solution for solving the environmental risks caused by antibiotics.
The result was titled "Interpretation of Antibiotic Resistance Gene Transfer under Antibiotic Exposure Conditions: Functional Modules and Bacterial Community Drivers", and was published on September 17 in the environmental journal "Water Research".
According to Professor Guo Wanqian, the entry of antibiotic residues into the ecological environment may cause ecological risks such as the production of resistance genes, which has attracted international attention.
As an emerging pollutant, resistance genes have the characteristics of being easy to produce and difficult to remove, and may produce resistant bacteria, leading to death of the infected person.
As the main "source" and "sink" of resistance genes in the environment, activated sludge is closely related to human life and has a greater ecological risk.
Therefore, elucidating the mechanism of antibiotic transfer in the activated sludge system is of great significance for blocking the transmission of resistance genes in the future.
At present, the internal mechanism of resistance gene transfer in the sludge system is still controversial and has not been fully understood.
The team relied on the Harbin Institute of Technology State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Water Environment to carry out scientific research, constructed an anaerobic activated sludge bioreactor, and used metagenomic biological sequencing technology to analyze changes in the abundance of genes encoding physiological functions and reveal antibiotics The relationship between microbial related functions, mobile genetic factors and resistance genes under exposure conditions will further explore the transformation of bacterial communities and potential host bacteria.
The study shows that antibiotic exposure changes the bacterial community, triggers oxidative stress response, cell signal transduction system and type IV secretion system and other modules, promotes mobile genetic factors and gene transfer potential. These changes together drive resistance in activated sludge Increased gene abundance.
This phenomenon is more obvious when exposed to refractory antibiotics.