Vidy Bay Sediments Raw sequence reads

Since the discovery of penicillin by Fleming in 1928 and the development of antibiotics for medical purpose from the 1940s’, the extensive use of antibiotics exposed pathogens to a selection pressure and contributed to the emergence of highly resistant bacteria. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are pointed as a main source of antibiotic resistance gens (ARGs) in environment. Treating both clinical and domestic wastewater, WWTPs release large amount of ARGs and antibiotics, due to a general inefficiency of wastewater treatment. In addition WWTPs also release other pollutants such as trace metals, which can co-select for ARGs. Recent study reported the enrichment of endospore-forming Firmicutes in trace metals-contaminated sediments. Considering their commonness in human microbiome, their pathogenic potential, their ability to form spores for their preservation and spread, and possible co-selection mechanisms, endospore-forming Firmicutes represent interesting candidates for the study of ARGs and their prevalence and accumulation in environment.