Donor survival governs the directional dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes to putative pathogens

This study aims to quantitatively resolve how, where, and why a broad-host-range, ARG-carrying plasmid disseminates within soil microbiomes. Across 52 agricultural soils, we track plasmid transfer and transconjugant communities using qPCR, flow cytometric sorting, and 16S rRNA sequencing, and identify ecological and environmental drivers via multivariate modeling and PLS-PM. We test whether donor survival, soil fertility, and heavy metals govern dissemination, and whether acquisition concentrates in phylogenetically related and putatively pathogenic lineages. Findings will inform risk assessment and mitigation of antibiotic resistance spread in agroecosystems.