All AMR in the Environment articles
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NewsBacteria frozen in ancient underground ice cave found to be resistant against 10 modern antibiotics
Researchers tested antibiotic resistance profiles of a bacterial strain that until recently was hidden in a 5,000-year-old layer of ice of an underground ice cave – and found it could be an opportunity for developing new strategies to prevent the rise of antibiotic resistance.
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NewsMicrobiomes interconnect on a planetary-scale, new study finds
Scientists reveal that microbes living in similar habitats are more alike than those simply inhabiting the same geographical region. By analysing tens of thousands of metagenomes, they found that while most microbes adapt to a specific ecosystem, generalists can thrive across very different habitats.
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NewsTeam finds E. coli, other pathogens in Potomac River after sewage spill
Following one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, researchers detected high levels of fecal-related bacteria and disease-causing pathogens in the Potomac River, raising urgent public health concerns and underscoring the risks posed by aging sewer infrastructure.
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NewsNew study reveals cyanobacteria may help spread antibiotic resistance in estuarine ecosystems
Scientists have discovered that cyanobacteria may play a major role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes in coastal environments. The findings highlight a previously overlooked link between natural nutrient cycling and the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.
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NewsInconsistent standards may be undermining global tracking of antibiotic resistance
A comprehensive review of how antimicrobial resistance is monitored in the environment and why inconsistent interpretation of laboratory results may be distorting our understanding of the scale of the problem.
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NewsRethinking global AMR strategy: the 2024 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List from a One Health perspective
A new perspective examines the World Health Organization’s 2024 Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (WHO BPPL), highlighting its strengths as a research roadmap while identifying critical gaps for a truly holistic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy.
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News£2.8 million research project to combat one of the world’s most urgent health threats
An ambitious new £2.8 million international programme will aim to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across East Africa. It will examine how environmental, social and economic factors influence the spread of drug-resistant infections in East African communities.
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NewsTracking antibiotic resistance in the environment gets a high tech upgrade
Antibiotic resistance is often framed as a hospital problem, but a growing body of evidence shows that the environment plays an equally critical role in the global spread of drug resistant bacteria. Rivers, soils, wastewater, and even the air can act as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes that may eventually ...
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NewsPine bark removes pharmaceutical residues from wastewater – an affordable way to keep antibiotics out of nature
Researchers have developed a pine‑bark–based water‑treatment medium that efficiently removes antibiotics as well as residues of blood‑pressure and antidepressant medicines from wastewater treatment plant effluent.
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NewsBacterial energy model reveals how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spreads in environment
Researchers analyzed how bacteria in aquatic environments distribute energy across diverse functions such as growth, biofilm formation, conjugative transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes and heavy‑metal tolerance, to clarify bacterial energy investment strategies.
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NewsEarthworms turn manure into a powerful tool against antibiotic resistance
Earthworms could become unexpected allies in the global fight against antibiotic resistance, by helping farmers turn manure into safer, high-value organic fertilizer through vermicomposting. Researchers report it can remove antibiotic resistance genes far more consistently than conventional composting.
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NewsBiodegradable and conventional plastics shape very different antibiotic resistance risks in river microbiomes
Biodegradable plastics are not always safer for rivers and oceans, according to a new study that tracked how different plastics change the risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria over time in a real river.
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NewsMelting glaciers may release hidden antibiotic resistance into vital water sources
Researchers report that glaciers act as long-term reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes. Once released by glacier melt, these genes can enter rivers, lakes, and ecosystems that supply drinking water and support wildlife in polar and high-altitude regions.
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NewsSub-lethal water disinfection may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance
A new study reveals that environmental stressors do not merely kill bacteria; they can also prime surviving cells to take up resistance genes more efficiently, raising concerns about how antibiotic-resistant bacteria may spread in aquatic environments.
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NewsViruses in wastewater: Silent drivers of pollution removal and antibiotic resistance
New findings suggest that current monitoring strategies, which rely heavily on bacterial indicators alone, may miss critical viral-driven risks and opportunities for safer wastewater reuse.
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NewsMicrobes that break down antibiotics help protect ecosystems under drug pollution
A new study shows that certain microbes can act as community protectors by breaking down antibiotics and stabilizing entire microbial ecosystems, offering a new way to rethink environmental risk assessment and pollution management.
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NewsAntibiotic resistance is ancient, ecological, and deeply connected to human activity, new review shows
Antibiotic resistance genes are often portrayed as a modern medical problem driven by the overuse of antibiotics in hospitals and farms. A new comprehensive review published in Biocontaminant reveals a much deeper and more complex story. Antibiotic resistance is an ancient feature of microbial life, shaped by millions of years ...
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NewsEnvironmental traces of antibiotics found to boost gene transfer among bacteria
Using models of vertical inheritance and horizontal transfer, researchers have found that low doses of tetracycline, ampicillin, kanamycin, and streptomycin stabilize resistance and promote gene transfer across species.
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NewsResearchers develop novel tracking method to reveal spread of antibiotic resistance across Hong Kong’s environment
Researchers have harnessed citywide genetic data and developed a novel genome-resolved tracking method to uncover precisely how antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes move across Hong Kong’s environment.
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NewsBlack carbon from straw burning curbs antibiotic resistance spread in plastic-mulched farmland
By tracking ARG movement from soil into soybeans, a new study shows that black carbon not only counteracts the ARG-amplifying effects of plastic residues but also limits the transfer of resistance genes into plant tissues and seeds.