Life Sciences Commons^™

Persistence Of Wastewater-Associated Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In River Microcosms, Aoife P. Mahaney

Theses and Dissertations

The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) associated with wastewater is a significant environmental concern, but little is known about the persistence and proliferation of these organisms in receiving water bodies after discharge. To address this knowledge gap, we performed a series of microcosm experiments in which river water was amended with either untreated or treated wastewater, and the abundance of viable ciprofloxacin-, Bactrim-, and erythromycin-resistant bacteria was monitored for 72 hours.

Both types of wastewater amendments increased the initial abundance of ARB compared to microcosms containing only river water. The increase was greatest with untreated wastewater, but that effect decreased …

Prevalence And Antibiotic Resistance Profile Of Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia And Bloodstream Infections Among Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients And Their Relation To Procalcitonin, Azhin D. Aziz Mrs., Adel K. Khider

Polytechnic Journal

Background and Objectives: in COVID-19 patients, secondary bacterial infections (SBIs) are a known complication of viral respiratory infections and are significantly associated with poorer outcomes.Our study aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical profile, antimicrobial resistance profile, and patient outcomes of secondary bacterial pneumonia and blood infections in COVID-19 hospitalized patients and their correlation with procalcitonin (PCT) levels.Method: During 7 months’ study, 260 clinical samples (blood and respiratory specimens) were collected from 130 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, of which 90 were from intensive care units (ICUs) and 40 from non-ICU departments, at six hospitals in Erbil city, Iraq. All samples were applied …

Alternatives To Antibiotics In Veterinary Medicine: Considerations For The Management Of Johne's Disease, Laura M. O'Connell, Aidan Coffey, Jim O'Mahony

Dept. of Biological Sciences Preprints

Antibiotic resistance has become a major health concern globally, with current predictions expecting deaths related to resistant infections to surpass those of cancer by 2050. Major efforts are being undertaken to develop derivative and novel alternatives to current antibiotic therapies in human medicine. What appears to be lacking however, are similar efforts into researching the application of those alternatives, such as (bacterio)phage therapy, in veterinary contexts. Agriculture is still undoubtedly the most prominent consumer of antibiotics, with up to 70 % of annual antibiotic usage attributed to this sector, despite policies to reduce their use in food animals. This not …

Effects Of Altering Physiologically Relevant Cholesterol Levels And Media Types On Porin Gene Expression In Klebsiella Pneumoniae And The Resulting Impact On Antibiotic Resistance, Megan R. Camden

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, non-motile bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. K. pneumoniae is a rising threat in the clinical setting, as there has been a large increase in the presence of antibiotic resistant isolates. While much research is conducted on laboratory and clinical strains of bacteria, not much is known regarding the impact that human physiology can have on bacterial gene expression, and in response, to antibiotic susceptibility. The goal of this study is to determine if physiologically relevant cholesterol levels and media types impact porin gene expression and antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae. To accomplish this, …

Utilizing Amr Surveillance Data To Analyze Trends In Escherichia Coli Antibiotic Resistance Levels In The South African Provinces Of Gauteng And The Eastern Cape, Celia Maris

Scripps Senior Theses

Antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens pose an ongoing threat to universal public health by causing more severe manifestations of infectious diseases, leading to an increase in healthcare expenditures and higher global mortality rates. Therefore, developing strategies to combat bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is vital for the future of human health. One promising strategy is through the utilization of AMR surveillance programs. This study focused on using AMR surveillance data from South Africa to analyze changes in Escherichia coli resistance levels to numerous antibiotics between January 2012 and December 2022 in Gauteng Province and the Eastern Cape Province. The study aimed to …

How Getting Friendly With Bacteria Can Promote Student Appreciation Of Microbial Diversity And Their Civic Scientific Literacy, Davida S. Smyth, Simon Chen, Gina Sompanya, Molly Metz, Theresa Conefrey

Biology Faculty Publications

ePortfolios are digital repositories where students can curate papers, projects, and reflections from individual or multiple courses across the disciplines and in a variety of formats to showcase their learning. This transparent and portable medium, which enables students to document their knowledge and abilities for assessment and career development, has been recognized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities as one of 11 high-impact practices. Using tailored rubrics, student assessment of learning gain surveys, and end-of-course exam questions, this study demonstrates how an ePortfolio assignment can be used in microbiology courses taken by majors and nonmajors to measure student …

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia Coli And EnterococcusSpp. In Sand And Water At Tampa Bay Beaches, Jennifer K. Sabater

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As antibiotic resistance in the environment continues to rise there is an increased concern that infections may become harder to treat as bacteria acquire genes for multidrug resistance. Recreational beach waters in the Tampa Bay area are routinely monitored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the presence of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli and enterococci. Exceedances of beach action values (BAV) 235 CFU/100 mL (E. coli) and 70 CFU/100 mL (enterococci) indicate the presence of fecal contamination which is associated with an increased risk of disease for beachgoers. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli and Enterococcus spp. have …

Does Manuka Honey Induce Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Persisters And Viable But Non-Culturable Subpopulations?, Bryn Tennyson

2022 Symposium

Long-term antibiotic use has allowed microbes to develop resistance and cause chronic infectious diseases that were previously treatable. Resistance is phenomenon in which bacteria survive treatment with a concentration of antibiotics that was once lethal. Bacteria resist antibiotic treatment by genetic change or initiating states of dormancy called persisters or Viable but Non-Culturable (VBNCs) cells. These subpopulations of antibiotic resistant persisters and VBNCs increase with exposure to stresses, including antibiotic treatment, and are a major cause of reoccurring infections that result in significant morbidity and mortality. Manuka honey (MH), a well-known alternative broad-spectrum antimicrobial, is a promising treatment for cutaneous …

Investigating Antimicrobial Properties Of Snake Venoms Against B. Cereus, B. Subtilis, E. Coli, And P. Vulgaris, Savannah Berger

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

The increasing incidence of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections has provoked the attention of health officials and scientists as a major threat to global public health. Antibiotic resistance is the product of overprescription by doctors, ineffective or shortened dosing by the patient, and more. When a bacterial infection is ineffectively treated as such, persistent pathogenic cells are given the opportunity to proliferate and spread their resistance to other cells. With bacteria utilizing such tools to fight and ultimately resist our current treatment methods, investigation towards the next novel mechanism of inhibition is essential. Venom is of particular interest to many scientists …

Assesment Of Antibiotic Resistant Gene Expression In Clinical Isolates Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Dustin Esmond

Biology Theses

Increasing prevalence of nosocomial infections by antimicrobial resistant pathogens resulting in higher mortality rates and financial burden is of great concern. Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents one of six highly virulent “ESKAPE” pathogens that exhibit considerable intrinsic drug resistance as well as mechanisms for acquiring further resistance. As many of these mechanisms are regulated through gene expression, we sought to identify regulatory strategies and patterns at play in 23 clinical isolates collected from Baku, Azerbaijan and Tyler, Texas, USA. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed on six gene targets implicated in resistance and contrasted with antibiotic phenotypes. We found AmpC cephalosporinase …

Microevolution In Staphylococcus Aureus: Does Exposure To Sub-Lethal Levels Of Cinnamon Bark Oil Lead To Changes In Antimicrobial Susceptibility?, Heather Sandra Schuettner

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant and multi-drug resistant bacteria presents a growing global health issue recognized by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are associated with longer hospital stays, higher treatments costs, and increased mortality compared to infections caused by antibiotic-susceptible pathogens. The global increase in antibiotic resistance is driven in part by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture. Staphylococcus aureus can infect humans and animals, and strains that are resistant to one or more antibiotics are common. Many plant essential oils have antimicrobial properties. Essential …

Microevolution In Staphylococcus Aureus: Does Exposure To Sub-Lethal Levels Of Cinnamon Bark Oil Lead To Changes In Antimicrobial Susceptibility?, Heather Sandra Schuettner

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant and multi-drug resistant bacteria presents a growing global health issue recognized by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are associated with longer hospital stays, higher treatments costs, and increased mortality compared to infections caused by antibiotic-susceptible pathogens. The global increase in antibiotic resistance is driven in part by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture. Staphylococcus aureus can infect humans and animals, and strains that are resistant to one or more antibiotics are common. Many plant essential oils have antimicrobial properties. Essential …

Antibiotic Resistance And Variability In The Physiological Profiles Of Streambed Bacterial Communities: Implication Of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents, Madeline Draper, Amerti Guta, Philips Akinwole

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) include a complex mixture of nutrients and toxic substances, thus, the potential exists for the effluent to significantly impact the biochemical characteristics and bacterial communities of the receiving freshwater ecosystem. Our findings highlight the worrisome impacts of WWTPs on microbial biomass, coliform forming units, bacterial metabolic diversity, and antibiotic resistance patterns on the receiving water. In this study, microbial biomass and coliform forming units were significantly higher at the WWTP outfall compared to the reference site. Furthermore, this report revealed significant differences in the composition of bacterial communities in the context of WWTP …

Identification Of Uncommon Antibiotic-Producing Illinois Soil Isolates, Lesly Muniz, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student sourcing antibiotic discovery from the soil. We researched tester strains B. subtilis and E. coli from the soil isolates obtained. We further verified if the isolates were common antibiotic bacteria. Unfortunately, this project heavily relied on biochemical tests, colony morphology, and Gram stains to reject or fail to reject our hypothesis. Our goal was to discover new antibiotic-producing bacteria that could be beneficial in combating ESKAPE strains. A proper PCR and DNA extraction would be required …

Isolated Antibiotic Producing Bacteria In Local Soil Samples Determined To Be Bacillus, Cassidy Potter, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

Nosocomial pathogens are multi-drug resistant to antibiotics that fight bacterial infections posing danger to the public health, the most dangerous of them being the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). This project is a collabortaion with the TIny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from the soil. TEPI allows student-led research on local soil samples from Bettendorf, IA to discover potential novel antibiotic producing bacteria that could potentially treat ESKAPE pathogens and reduce public health risk. Two soil isolates …

Isolating Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria From Soil, Michelle Santiago, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

As the antibiotic crisis becomes stronger, we are in need of finding more novel antibiotics. This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student sourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. The soil isolates were determined to be part of the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genus.

Putative Antibiotic Producer: A Pseudomonas Genus With Antibiotic Properties, John Tworek, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

There is a series antibiotic crisis in the world with catastrophic consequences if action is not take. Many diseases caused by bacteria are becoming untreatable because of the amount of pathogens resistant to the effect of antibiotics. The most prolific bacteria are the ESKAPE bacteria. They are nonsocomial pathogens that exhibit multi-drug resistance and virulence. My project will be working alongside the Tiny Earth Project (TEPI) to educate the public about the antibiotic crisis as well as obtaining a soil sample to possible discover new antibiotics. The DNA sequencing data retrieved from soil isolates against the two ESKAPE tester strains …

Screening For Antibiotic-Producers In Soil From A Garden, Long Tran, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

Multidrug-resistant pathogens are the leading cause of nosocomial infection, which killed more than 30,000 people in the United States every year. Among these, ESKAPE strains bugs, which comprise six highly drug-resistant bacteria, pose the greatest challenge to the healthcare system. In order to fight the antibiotic-resistant crises, novel antibiotic-producers must be discovered. This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student sourcing antibiotic discovery from the soil. Pseudomonas was revealed to produce a zone of inhibition against Bacillus subtilis on LB media. The next step …

Unknown Soil Isolates From Urban Park As Antibiotic Producers, Sydney Parra, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

Antibiotics play an important role in combating bacterial infections. Recently, antibiotic resistance has increased which has pushed scientist to find new and effective antibiotic drugs. Students conducted research on potential antibiotic producers from soil samples in the Quad Cities region. The purpose of the study was to find novel antibiotic producers from bacteria in soil and test soil isolates against two strains of bacteria, B. subtilis and E. coli. Two unknown soil isolate strains were found to be potential antibiotic producers against B. subtilis. Future studies are needed to conduct gene sequencing on these two …

Antibiotic Producing Microbes Found In Soil, Rediat Ephrem, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

The antibiotic crisis is a growing concern as more and more diseases are becoming untreatable due to antibiotic resistance. Of all antibiotic resistant bacteria, the ESKAPE strains are the most dangerous because of their association with higher mortality rates and multidrug resistance. In this study, ESKAPE-like strains will be studied as they are similar to the ESKAPE strains and provide comparable data in a safe manner. Soil samples are evaluated to test the presence of any microbes that may be antibiotic producers. This project is in collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of …

Pseudomonas And Bacillus Soil Isolates Produce Antibiotics, Chelsea Brandt, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

The recent emergence of antibiotic resistance bacterial strains presents a significant challenge and threat to human healthcare. While new methods of treatment such as bacteriophage therapy and combinations of existing antibiotics are being researched, the human population is in dire need of new antibiotics to replace those that are ineffective. This research addresses this need by identifying antibiotic producing bacteria in a soil sample from Davenport, IA. This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. Microbiology lab techniques and 16S …

Identification Of Antibiotic Producing Soil Bacteria Against Bacillus Subtilis, Morgan Brockhouse, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student-sourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. Individual strains of soil bacteria were isolated and produced antibiotic against Bacillus subtilis. Two of these samples were sequenced using the 16S rRNA gene to reveal they are very closely related to the genus Pseudomonas.

The Identification Of Antibiotic-Producing Bacillus From Soil, Daniel Coe, Dr. Lori Scott

Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil

One of the largest issues facing the scientific and medical communities today is antibacterial resistance. It is important that we continue to discover and develop new antibiotics to keep up with the rapidly adapting bacteria that could potentially cause a wide scale pandemic. The purpose of this study is to identify new antibiotic producing bacteria as well as familiarize ourselves with the practices and procedures that industry professionals use. This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student sourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. We were …

Group B Streptococcus: Molecular Epidemiology, Pathogenic Profiling And Control Strategies, Katherine Mary Hayes

Theses

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are frequent colonisers of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy adults with worldwide rates of 18% colonisation; however, they are also opportunistic pathogens capable of causing invasive disease, particularly in neonates and adults with underlying conditions. Indeed, GBS is the leading cause of invasive neonatal disease worldwide with a global incidence of 0.49 per 1000 live births and GBS disease in adults is increasing globally, with estimated rates of 10.9 cases per 100,000 people. While GBS remain largely susceptible to penicillin, there have been reports of reduced beta-lactam susceptibility in certain countries and resistance to other antibiotic …

Development Of Small Molecule Antibiotics Against A Conserved Rna Gene Regulatory Element In Gram-Positive Bacteria, Ville Yrjö Petteri Väre

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Bacterial infections and the rise of antibiotic resistance, especially multidrug resistant strains, have generated a clear need for discovery of novel therapeutics. Most antibiotics in use today are derivatives of previous antibiotics to which resistance mechanisms already exist, and traditionally they have a single target: either a protein or rRNA. Gram-positive bacteria regulate the expression of several essential genes or operons using a mechanism called the T-box. The T-box is a structurally conserved riboswitch-like gene regulator in the 5’-untranslated region (UTR) of numerous essential genes of Gram-positive bacteria. T-boxes are stabilized by cognate, unacylated tRNA ligands, allowing the formation of …

Investigation Of Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Tetracycline Resistance In Thermophilic Campylobacter Spp. Suggests That Previous Reports Of Tet(A)-Mediated Resistance In These Bacteria Are Premature, Caoimhe Lynch, Kayleigh Hawkins, Helen Lynch, John Egan, Declan Bolton, Aidan Coffey, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The true prevalence of tet(A), which codes for a tetracycline efflux pump, in thermophilic Camplyobacter spp. requires clarification after reports emerged in Iran (2014) and Kenya (2016) of the novel detection of tet(A) in Campylobacter. During our investigation of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in a sample of Irish thermophilic Campylobacter broiler isolates, it was determined that 100% of tetracycline-resistant isolates (n = 119) harboured tet(O). Accessory tetracycline-resistance mechanisms were considered as tetracycline minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 4 to ≥ 64 mg/L. Primers previously reported for the detection of tet(A) in Campylobacter failed to produce an amplicon using a positive control …

Multi-Omic Understanding Of The Evolution Of Xenobiotic Tolerance In Bacterial Isolates And Communities, Tayte Paul Campbell

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Xenobiotic compounds are any chemicals that are released into an environment by human action and that occur at concentrations higher than found naturally. Xenobiotics, including aromatic compounds and antibiotics, are recalcitrant to degradation because they are often toxic or mutagenic. Despite this toxicity, bacteria account for a large portion of xenobiotic degradation in the environment. Bacteria are able to adapt to these foreign chemicals, gaining increased levels of tolerance and increased rates of xenobiotic degradation. On the strain level, increased tolerance can be caused by mutations in individual cells or through the acquisition of genes from other cells. At the …

Darwin At The Drugstore? Testing The Biological Fitness Of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, Alan L. Gillen, Sarah Anderson

Alan L. Gillen

The issue of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is growing. For example, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading human pathogen. New strains of MRSA are resistant to methicillin and numerous other antibiotics, placing the patient in significant danger. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control revealed in 2007 that the number of deaths due to MRSA exceeded that of AIDS in the United States. It is no wonder that antibiotic resistance is one of the most significant and important health care issues. The ability of bacterial pathogens to evade traditional antibiotics is faster than the drug makers’ ability to make new …

Assessing The Prevalence Of Multidrug Resistant Salmonella Enterica From Stream Sediment And Poultry Litter In The Shenandoah Valley Of Virginia, Noah Greenman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Multidrug resistant Salmonella enterica present in stream sediment and poultry litter represent a critical health concern. A small number of S. enterica serotypes are responsible for most lab-confirmed infections in the US each year. To assess the prevalence of these significant strains, we isolated 88 S. enterica from stream sediment and poultry litter. Sequence data for all isolates were generated using an Illumina® sequencing platform, with long-reads for some isolates from the Oxford Nanopore MinION™ used in a hybrid genome assembly approach. Isolates were typed according to their serotype and multi-locus sequence type using SeqSero/SISTR and Enterobase respectively. Antibiotic resistance …

Agricultural Contamination Impacts Antibiotic Resistance Gene Abundances In River Bed Sediment Temporally, Rachelle E. Beattie, Michael P. Walsh, Mercedes Cecilia Cruz, L. Rex Mcaliley, Laurel Dodgen, Wei Zheng, Krassimira R. Hristova

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Kewaunee County, Wisconsin is an agricultural area dominated by concentrated animal feeding operations and manure fertilized cropland. The objective of this study was to characterize chemical and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) profiles of 20 surface water locations in Kewaunee County to better understand relationships between agricultural contamination and ARG abundance over one year. Surface water (n = 101) and bed sediment (n = 93) were collected from 20 sites during five timepoints between July 2016 and May 2017. Samples were analyzed for six genes (erm(B), tet(W), sul1, qnrA, intI1 and 16S rRNA) and water chemistry …