Canada_IPAP: Amoebae with antimicrobial resistant endsymbionts (AWARE)

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Antimicrobial resistance represents bacteria's ability to withstand harmful chemicals; most popularly, their ability to resist antibiotics has been most concerning. These traits allow disease-causing pathogens (for example) to survive antibiotic therapy. Less commonly known are the impacts of "other" compounds (e.g., disinfectants) and other organisms in nature that may worsen the problem. In particular, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are high-consumption chemicals used to make emulsifiers, fabric softeners, corrosion inhibitors and personal care products. They are also the most common active ingredients in sanitizing and disinfecting products; as such, they are a candidate for developing resistance. Therefore, we will examine their role in resistance development because of their extensive use in the food preparation industry. More importantly, The project examines the role of free-living amoebae (a protozoan found in waters and sediment) as a mechanism and vector in developing and spreading antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Free-living amoebae harbour bacteria and essentially could be protected, to an extent, from toxic compounds in the environment. However, for some additional reason, they further enhance the potential for bacteria to become resistant. Some of the bacteria are fish pathogens. So their mechanism as a driving force for drug resistance must be investigated.This investigation will take place within a whole-lake exposure study at the Experimental Lakes Area (Ontario), which includes the impacts of multiple trophic levels within a lake--including Lake Trout. Comparisons of bacterial populations and their resistance traits in the water, sediment, amoebae and fish will be made as preliminary results towards understanding whether similarities in their distribution do occur and whether QAC disinfectants also contribute to the selection pressure. This is a partnership development grant with a unique opportunity to collaborate with other researchers to better understand the biological mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in a real-life context and their risks in the aquaculture and fishing industries.