iScience· 2026Q1
Artificial plastic substrate for tracking and exploring antimicrobial-resistant bacteria transmission pathways in aquatic ecosystems
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Artificial plastic substrates (APSs) effectively capture more antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and resistance genes from rivers than raw water sampling, identifying key resistance genes and bacteria like ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio spp.
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Key points
- Artificial plastic substrates (APSs) were developed and evaluated as a sampling tool for ARBs in aquatic ecosystems.
- APSs recovered more ARBs (127 isolates, including ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio spp.) than raw water samples.
- Key antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), including class 1 integrons and genes for β-lactam, carbapenem, and tetracycline resistance, were captured by APSs.
- APSs are presented as an efficient, cost-effective, reproducible, and minimally invasive monitoring tool.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Investigating the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) in aquatic ecosystems is challenging because conventional methods require large volumes of water, particularly difficult to collect in regions affected by climate-related stress. This study developed and evaluated artificial plastic substrates (APSs) as an effective sampling tool and assessed the potential role of plastic as a transmission vector for ARBs. Five monthly sampling campaigns were conducted at three sites along the Arrone River. A total of 127 ARBs, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio spp., were isolated from APSs and raw water (RW) and characterized at the microbiological and molecular levels. APSs recovered more ARBs than RW and captured key antibiotic resistance genes, including class 1 integrons and genes associated with β-lactam, carbapenem, tetracycline, sulfonamide, aminoglycoside, chloramphenicol, and efflux pump-mediated resistance. Overall, APSs proved to be an efficient, cost-effective, reproducible, and minimally invasive tool for monitoring ARBs and ARGs in aquatic ecosystems.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. iScience, 2026 · DOI ↗
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