Sooyeol Kim

Abstract Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat, with over 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections and 35,000 attributable deaths annually in the U.S. Here, we sought to use wastewater monitoring to assess community-level burden of antibiotic resistance. This study quantifies concentrations of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by digital droplet PCR in wastewater solids obtained from 163 wastewater treatment plants in 40 states in the United States.

Abstract Precisely understanding how and to what extent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is exchanged between animals and humans is needed to inform control strategies. Metagenomic sequencing has low detection for rare targets such as antibiotic resistance genes, while whole genome sequencing of isolates misses exchange between uncultured bacterial species. We introduce Context-Seq, CRISPR-Cas9 targeted sequencing of ARGs and their genomic context with long-reads.

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) aligns with a One Health framework in that resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be transmitted between humans, animals, and the environment. However, there is a critical need to more precisely understand how and to what extent AMR is exchanged between animals and humans.