Antibiotic Resistance in biosolids-amended soil

This study compared the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial community structure in biosolids amended and pristine soils during carrot cultivation. Amendment of biosolids to soils is known to improve soil properties, but also contain high levels of ARGs which can horizontally transfer in complex microbial communities, potentially containing pathogens. Carrots were planted in triplicate samples of pristine and biosolids amended soils to determine the impact of biosolids amendment on ARGs, the microbial community, and high-risk pathogens. Additionally, network analysis was used to determine co-occurrences between microbial taxa and ARGs.