Studying the presence and selection of antibiotic resistance genes

Antibiotic resistance genes can directly enter WWTPs, pass through the WWTPs, and enter receiving waters, thus potentially spreading resistance and posing a growing concern to the public. My goals here are two-fold. First, I want to test if specific operating metrics, such as temperature, pH, BOD concentration, and N concentration, have an influence on the presence and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in sludge communities. Second, I want to determine whether antibiotic resistance genes are under active selection within WWTPs. To accomplish this second goal, I will evaluate whether antibiotic resistance genes are actively transcribed, which would suggest potential direct selection. I will also test whether antibiotic resistance genes correlate with biodiversity, where I expect that a negative relationship between biodiversity and antibiotic resistance genes is indicative of active selection. I will use a metagenomics and metatranscriptomics approach to test for the presence and expression of target genes. This will help identify potential selection pressures that enable antibiotic resistance genes to pass through WWTPs and be released into receiving waters.