Tietê Microbiome: Functional diversity and antibiotic resistance of the microbial community in the Tietê River sediments

• Grant number: 24/14369-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Welington Luiz de Araújo
• Grantee: Gabriele Muniz Costa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10599-3 - The Antimicrobial Resistance Institute of São Paulo (The Aries Project), AP.CEPID

Abstract

One Health is an emerging concept that recognizes the correlation between human and animal health and environmental quality, requesting for collaboration of different knowledge to address different problems. Bearing in mind the important role of microorganisms in maintaining the ecosystem, there is a need to study the physical-chemical and biological changes in the environment caused by human activity and, with these changes, how they can affect humans, animals, and the environment itself. In this context, the Tietê River basin is an important resource in the state of São Paulo and influences the lives of millions of people. The rivers in this basin are affected by the discharge of industrial pollutants, diffuse pollution, domestic sewage, and agricultural activity on the borders of the rivers. Thus, from an integrated perspective of human health and environmental health, this work will seek to evaluate the effects of selective pressure (resulting from the increased concentration of pollutants in the Tietê River) on the abundance and richness of bacteria of medical interest. Furthermore, the abundance and richness of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes will also be assessed. For this purpose, the taxonomic and functional variation of the microbial community in the sediment and soil on the borders of the Tietê River, in preserved areas, under agricultural and urban cultivation, will be evaluated using an independent cultivation strategy. Furthermore, antibiotic-resistant bacteria will be isolated from these sites, allowing the identification of the effect of land use on the presence of multi-resistant bacteria in the soil and sediment of the Alto Tietê region. Thus, this work aims to show the relationship between land use strategies and the abundance and richness of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, it will be possible to establish correlations between the increase in pollutant concentration in the river and these bacteria of medical interest. The taxonomic and functional characterization of this community will allow the development of monitoring systems to identify the increased risk, due to the use of this water for irrigation of vegetables in Alto Tietê, and, through better waste management, mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.