Comparative metataxogenomic analysis and in silico profile of antimicrobial resistance genes in important springs in the state of São Paulo

• Grant number: 18/22967-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: May 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Guedes Stehling
• Grantee: Eliana Guedes Stehling
• Host Investigator: Ashley Shade
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Michigan State University (MSU), United States

Abstract

Brazil has a large amount of water sources and in São Paulo State, 461 points are analyzed, which have variable quality indexes, indicating a greater or lesser degree of contamination, mainly due to the deposition of domestic sewage. The release of untreated domestic effluent into the rivers causes an imbalance of the ecosystem, with consequent increase of some microorganisms and elimination of others. In addition, due to incorrect disposal of drugs, including antimicrobials, this environment functions as a large reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes, selecting more and more bacteria resistant to the different classes of antimicrobials available today. The objective of this research project is to compare the taxogenomic and in silico profile of resistance genes to antimicrobial and mobile genetic elements in three important sources of the state of São Paulo (Tietê River, Cotia River and Rio Pardo), classified at different levels of toxicity. The study will be conducted at the Research Technology Support Facility of Michigan State University (MSU), where all sequencing and bioinformatics analyzes will be performed to determine metataxogenomics, resistome and mobilome.