Collaborative Research: Mitigating antibiotic resistance in drinking water by understanding the impact of corrosion inhibitors and corrosion products

抗生素耐药性的蔓延使抗生素失效，从而威胁到公众健康。饮用水分配系统是抗生素抗性基因的来源，这种遗传物质使细菌对抗生素产生耐药性。供水系统尤其令人担忧，因为它们是将抗生素耐药基因直接传递给脆弱人群的渠道，包括儿童、老年人、医院病人和免疫系统较弱的人。众所周知，金属会促进抗生素耐药性的发展。由于管道腐蚀和腐蚀抑制剂的存在，其中一些金属也存在于分配系统中。这项研究的目的是确定哪些水管材料和缓蚀剂的选择导致最小的抗生素耐药性。这一目标将通过实验来检验腐蚀在抗生素耐药性发展中的作用。研究小组和水务公司之间的合作将促进研究，以确定抗性基因，管道表面和饮用水化学在现实世界的分配系统之间的相互作用。为全国各地的饮用水公用事业提供指导将进一步造福社会。该指南将帮助他们决定哪种管道材料和腐蚀抑制剂最能防止饮用水中抗生素耐药性的传播，以保护公众健康。抗生素耐药性的传播是一个主要的公共卫生问题。金属是抗生素耐药性的已知压力源，由于基础设施老化和含金属腐蚀抑制剂的使用，金属在饮用水系统中普遍存在。这项工作的中心假设是，腐蚀抑制剂和腐蚀产物在供水系统中产生金属，增加了市政饮用水中抗生素耐药基因的丰度并改变了它们的类型。研究团队结合了化学和分子微生物学方面的专业知识，以解决三个互补的目标。目的1是确定不同营养条件下缓蚀剂对抗生素耐药性的影响。目的2是利用互补的基于培养和非基于培养的技术阐明腐蚀产物对抗生素耐药性的影响。目标3是确定腐蚀产物与现实世界饮用水分配系统管道中抗生素抗性基因的数量和特征之间的联系。表面化学表征将与微滴数字PCR相结合，以确定抗生素耐药基因谱的化学关系。从这项研究中产生的知识将有助于公用事业公司减轻饮用水分配系统中抗生素耐药性的传播。研究结果将纳入为期两天的关于水和废水中新出现污染物的年度专业短期课程。此外，pi将在之前夏季推广工作的基础上，举办一门高中课程，让代表性不足的学生参与夏季研究，以增加美国STEM劳动力的多样性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The spread of antibiotic resistance threatens public health by rendering antibiotics ineffective. Drinking water distribution systems are a source of antibiotic resistance genes, the genetic material that makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Water distribution systems are particularly concerning as they are a direct conveyor of antibiotic resistance genes to vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, hospital patients, and people with weakened immune systems. Metals are known to promote the development of antibiotic resistance. Some of these metals are also present in distribution systems due to pipe corrosion and the presence of corrosion inhibitors. The goal of this research is to determine which water pipe materials and corrosion inhibitor choices result in minimal antibiotic resistance. This goal will be achieved through experiments to examine the role of corrosion on antibiotic resistance development. Collaborations between the research team and water utilities will facilitate research to determine the interplay between resistance genes, pipe surfaces, and drinking water chemistry in real-world distribution systems. Further benefits to society will result from guidance provided to drinking water utilities across the country. This guidance will help them decide which pipe materials and corrosion inhibitors best prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance in drinking water to protect public health. The spread of antibiotic resistance is a primary public health concern. Metals are a known stressor for antibiotic resistance and are prevalent in drinking water systems due to aging infrastructure and the use of metal-containing corrosion inhibitors. The central hypothesis of this work is that corrosion inhibitors and corrosion products yield metals in water distribution systems that increase the abundance and alter the types of antibiotic resistant genes in municipal drinking water. The research team combines expertise in chemistry and molecular microbiology to address three complimentary objectives. Objective 1 is to determine the impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance under variable nutrient conditions. Objective 2 is to elucidate the effect of corrosion products on antibiotic resistance using complimentary culture-based and non-culture-based techniques. Objective 3 is to identify linkages between corrosion products and the quantity and profile of antibiotic resistance genes in real-world drinking water distribution system pipes. Surface chemistry characterization will be coupled with Droplet Digital PCR to identify chemical relationships to antibiotic resistance gene profiles. Knowledge generated from this research will help utilities mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance in drinking water distribution systems. Results will be incorporated into an annual two-day professional short course on emerging contaminants in water and wastewater. Additionally, the PIs will build on previous summer outreach efforts and host a high school course to engage underrepresented students in summer research to increase the diversity of the Nation’s STEM workforce.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.