Combating the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in Urban Water Systems

This projects aims to investigate the occurrence, diversity, and transformation of antibiotic resistant genes in the entire urban water cycle. Using the latest metagenomic and analytical tools, this project will enhance our knowledge on fate and transfer mechanisms of antibiotic resistance genes in the urban water cycle. Based on this understanding, an expected outcome of the project is the development of innovative technologies for efficient reduction of antibiotic resistance genes to have future applications for environmental, human health and economic benefits for Australia.

Funding

• Australian Research Council

Project Outcomes

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a global threat to human health, but its spread in environmental settings has been largely overlooked. This project has comprehensively investigated the occurrence, diversity, and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban water systems by using advanced molecular methods. The project outcomes have enhanced our knowledge of the fate and spread of ARGs in the urban water cycle. The project discovered that non-antibiotic drugs and chemicals contribute to the spread of ARGs. Moreover, this project has developed innovative water treatments and disinfection solutions, which show great potential for future applications to address the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

Publications

Journal Articles

• Ahmed, Yunus, Zhong, Jiexi, Wang, Zhiliang, Wang, Lianzhou, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Simultaneous removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and micropollutants by FeS2@GO-based heterogeneous photo-Fenton process. Environmental Science and Technology 56 (21) 15156-15166.
• Wang, Bingzheng, Ni, Bing-Jie, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2019). Cometabolic biodegradation of cephalexin by enriched nitrifying sludge: process characteristics, gene expression and product biotoxicity. Science of The Total Environment 672 275-282. 
• Ni, Gaofeng, Lu, Ji, Maulani, Nova, Tian, Wei, Yang, Lin, Harliwong, Ivon, Wang, Zhiyao, Mueller, Jochen, Yang, Bicheng, Yuan, Zhiguo, Hu, Shihu, and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Novel multiplexed amplicon-based sequencing to quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 8 (8) acs.estlett.1c00408 683-690.
• Lu, Ji, Wang, Yue, Li, Jie, Mao, Likai, Nguyen, Son Hoang, Duarte, Tania, Coin, Lachlan, Bond, Philip, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2018). Triclosan at environmentally relevant concentrations promotes horizontal transfer of multidrug resistance genes within and across bacterial genera. Environment International 121 (Pt 2) 1217-1226. 
• Jin, Min, Lu, Ji, Chen, Zhaoyu, Nguyen, Son Hoang, Mao, Likai, Li, Junwen, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2018). Antidepressant fluoxetine induces multiple antibiotics resistance in Escherichia coli via ROS-mediated mutagenesis. Environment International 120 421-430.
• Lu, Ji, Wang, Yue, Jin, Min, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip, and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Both silver ions and silver nanoparticles facilitate horizontal transfer of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance genes. Water Research 169 115229 115229.
• Lu, Ji, Zhang, Shuai, Gao, Shuhong, Wang, Peng, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2020). New insights of the bacterial response to exposure of differently sized silver nanomaterials. Water Research 169 115205 115205.
• Lai, Chun-Yu, Wu, Mengxiong, Wang, Yulu, Zhang, Jiongbin, Li, Jiahui, Liu, Tao, Xia, Jun, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Cross-feeding interactions in short chain gaseous alkane-driven perchlorate and selenate reduction. Water Research 200 117215 1-11.
• Zhang, Shuai, Wang, Yue, Song, Hailiang, Lu, Ji, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2019). Copper nanoparticles and copper ions promote horizontal transfer of plasmid-mediated multi-antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial genera. Environment International 129 478-487.
• Zhang, Shuai, Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Yu, Zhigang, Song, Hailiang, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Chlorine disinfection facilitates natural transformation through ROS-mediated oxidative stress. The ISME Journal 15 (10) 2969-2985.
• Chen, Zhaoyu, Lu, Ji, Gao, Shu-Hong, Jin, Min, Bond, Philip L., Yang, Ping, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2018). Silver nanoparticles stimulate the proliferation of sulfate reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Water Research 129 163-171. 
• Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Zhang, Shuai, Li, Jie, Mao, Likai, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals promote the transmission of multidrug resistance plasmids through intra- and intergenera conjugation. The ISME Journal 15 (9) 2493-2508.
• Wang, Bingzheng, Ni, Bing-Jie, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2019). Insight into the nitrification kinetics and microbial response of an enriched nitrifying sludge in the biodegradation of sulfadiazine. Environmental Pollution 255 (Pt 1) 113160 113160.
• Ngiam, Lyman, Schembri, Mark A., Weynberg, Karen, and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Bacteriophage isolated from non‐target bacteria demonstrates broad host range infectivity against multidrug resistant bacteria. Environmental Microbiology 23 (9) 1462-2920.15714 1-18.
• Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Mao, Likai, Li, Jie, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2018). Antiepileptic drug carbamazepine promotes horizontal transfer of plasmid-borne multi-antibiotic resistance genes within and across bacterial genera. ISME Journal 13 (2) 509-522.
• Guo, Jianhua, Wang, Yue, Ahmed, Yunus, Jin, Min, and Li, Jie (2020). Control strategies to combat dissemination of antibiotic resistance in urban water systems. Antibiotic resistance in the environment: a worldwide overview. Edited by Célia M. Manaia, Erica Donner, Ivone Vaz-Moreira, and Peiying Hong. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.147-187.
• Yu, Zhigang, Li, Xuemei, and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Combat antimicrobial resistance emergence and biofilm formation through nanoscale zero-valent iron particles. Chemical Engineering Journal 444 136569 1-9.
• Yu, Zhigang, Rabiee, Hesamoddin, and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Synergistic effect of sulfidated nano zerovalent iron and persulfate on inactivating antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. Water Research 198 117141 1-12.
• Ahmed, Yunus, Zhong, Jiexi, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Roles of reactive oxygen species in antibiotic resistant bacteria inactivation and micropollutant degradation in Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. Journal of Hazardous Materials 430 128408 128408.
• Zhong, Jiexi, Ahmed, Yunus, Carvalho, Gilda, Wang, Zhiliang, Wang, Lianzhou, Mueller, Jochen F., and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Simultaneous removal of micropollutants, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes using graphitic carbon nitride under simulated solar irradiation. Chemical Engineering Journal 433 133839 133839.
• Zhang, Shuai, Lu, Ji, Wang, Yue, Verstraete, Willy, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Insights of metallic nanoparticles and ions in accelerating the bacterial uptake of antibiotic resistance genes. Journal of Hazardous Materials 421 126728 1-11.
• Yu, Zhigang, Wang, Yue, Henderson, Ian R., and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Artificial sweeteners stimulate horizontal transfer of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes through natural transformation. The ISME Journal 16 (2) 1-12.
• Ahmed, Yunus, Zhong, Jiexi, Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Simultaneous removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and micropollutants by a modified photo-Fenton process. Water Research 197 117075 117075.
• Yu, Zhigang, Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Nonnutritive sweeteners can promote the dissemination of antibiotic resistance through conjugative gene transfer. The ISME Journal 15 (7) 2117-2130.
• Lu, Ji and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Disinfection spreads antimicrobial resistance. Science 371 (6528) 474-474.
• Zhong, Jiexi, Jiang, Hui, Wang, Zhiliang, Yu, Zhigang, Wang, Lianzhou, Mueller, Jochen F., and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Efficient photocatalytic destruction of recalcitrant micropollutants using graphitic carbon nitride under simulated sunlight irradiation. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 5 100079 1-11.
• Ahmed, Yunus, Lu, Ji, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Efficient inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes by photo-Fenton process under visible LED light and neutral pH. Water Research 179 115878 .
• Wang, Yue, Lu, Ji, Engelstädter, Jan, Zhang, Shuai, Ding, Pengbo, Mao, Likai, Yuan, Zhiguo, Bond, Philip L., and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals enhance the transmission of exogenous antibiotic resistance genes through bacterial transformation. The ISME Journal: multidisciplinary journal of microbial ecology 14 (8) 2179-2196.
• Lu, Ji, Wang, Yue, Zhang, Shuai, Bond, Philip, and Guo, Jianhua (2020). Triclosan at environmental concentrations can enhance the spread of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes through transformation. Science of the Total Environment 713 136621 136621.
• Lu, Ji, Jin, Min, Nguyen, Son Hoang, Mao, Likai, Li, Jie, Coin, Lachlan J.M., Yuan, Zhiguo, and Guo, Jianhua (2018). Non-antibiotic antimicrobial triclosan induces multiple antibiotic resistance through genetic mutation. Environment International 118 257-265.
• Guo, Jianhua, Li, Jie, Chen, Hui, Bond, Philip L., and Yuan, Zhiguo (2017). Metagenomic analysis reveals wastewater treatment plants as hotspots of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements. Water Research 123 468-478.
• Wang, Yue, Yu, Zhigang, Ding, Pengbo, Lu, Ji, Klümper, Uli, Murray, Aimee K., Gaze, William H., and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals promote conjugative plasmid transfer at a community-wide level. Microbiome 10 (1) 124 1-15.
• Lu, Ji, Yu, Zhigang, Ding, Pengbo, and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Triclosan promotes conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to opportunistic pathogens in environmental microbiome. Environmental Science and Technology 56 (21) 15108-15119.

Book Chapters

• Guo, Jianhua, Wang, Yue, Ahmed, Yunus, Jin, Min, and Li, Jie (2020). Control strategies to combat dissemination of antibiotic resistance in urban water systems. Antibiotic resistance in the environment: a worldwide overview. Edited by Célia M. Manaia, Erica Donner, Ivone Vaz-Moreira, and Peiying Hong. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.147-187.