Academy Research Fellow Reetta Penttinen presents her research "Ecology and Evolution of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in Gut Bacteria - from Bacterial Isolates to Natural Gut Microbiomes."
ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent threats to our health. Conjugative plasmids are essential genetic vectors carried by bacteria due to their ability to spread antibiotic resistance between individual bacteria and across microbial communities, such as the human gut microbiota. However, certain ecological (e.g. predatory bacteriophages) and environmental changes, (e.g. antibiotic treatment), may modulate the plasmid-host interactions and thereby their potential to disseminate AMR within microbial communities. Further, bacteria have developed mechanisms for defending against genetic invaders, such as plasmids and bacteriophages, but their role in controlling the spread of AMR has not been clearly determined in clinical settings. Therefore, understanding the both the ecology and the underlying mechanisms driving the evolution of conjugative AMR plasmids is crucial. In this study, we will utilize experimental evolution and human gut metagenomics in real-life clinical conditions for studying the ecological and evolutionary aspects of plasmid-mediated AMR. This study will provide a profound view on the resistance plasmid dynamics in human gut microbiota and emphasize the role of bacterial defense systems in plasmid dispersal within clinically relevant microbial ecosystems.
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