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Antibiotic Resistance of Bacteria Present in Local Water Sites

Undergraduate #169
Discipline: Biology
Subcategory: Microbiology/Immunology/Virology
Session: 3
Room: Exhibit Hall

Alvin Atuonah - Bowie State University
Co-Author(s): Dr. Sylvia Ejeh, University, Bowie MD, Salena Frost, University, Bowie MD, Heydi Rivera, University, Bowie MD, Keonna Smith, University, Bowie MD, Muhammad Usama, University, Bowie MD,



Resistance to antibiotics has become a major threat to society, this is because there is a growing rate of bacteria and other microbes that cause disease in humans and animals, they are becoming resistant to normal effective drugs. According to the UN, the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global health emergency that could kill 10 million people by 2050. Antibiotic pollution is one way by which bacteria can develop resistance to the antibiotics, rendering them ineffective for human use. Most of the resistance genes we see in human pathogens come from environmental bacteria. The drugs find their way into soil and river via humans, animal waste and leaks from wastewater treatment plants and drug manufacturing facilities. Society must be aware of the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. If care is not taken, we will head for a post antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill. This research aims to analyze the effects of urbanization along the waterbodies around Bowie State University on antibiotic resistance, comparing upstream (nonurban) and downstream (urban) water samples for colony growth on tetracycline (antibiotic) treated plates and non-tetracycline treated plates. This study may reveal a positive relationship between urbanization and antibiotic resistance. It was hypothesized that more growth would occur on plates that were streaked with water samples collected from downstream locations. Water samples were collected from Henry Circle Fountain and Loop Road Lake located on Bowie State University campus, as well as Horsepen Park, outside of the campus grounds. These samples were streaked in plates with antibiotic-treated nutrient agar and plates with no antibiotic treatment as a control, using similar agar preparation and plating techniques as comparable studies. The results determined that the amount of bacterial growth on the control plates was about the same as the amount that grew on plates treated with tetracycline. Additionally, bacterial growth on plates treated with tetracycline confirmed presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the water samples from the three locations with the highest amount being from Henry Circle Fountain. Future research involves performing metagenomic analysis for the bacterial growth from the tetracycline treated plated to determine taxonomy.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): Bowie State University’s Title III CURE grant

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sylvia Ejeh, sejeh@bowiestate.edu

Role: Collected samples of water from local water sites around Bowie. Created tetracycline treated plates, and analyzed data through imageJ to determine the amount of proliferated microbial life.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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