Artificial plastic substrate for tracking and exploring antimicrobial-resistant bacteria transmission pathways in aquatic ecosystems
Abstract
Investigating the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) in aquatic ecosystems is challenging because conventional methods require large volumes of water, particularly difficult to collect in regions affected by climate-related stress. This study developed and evaluated artificial plastic substrates (APSs) as an effective sampling tool and assessed the potential role of plastic as a transmission vector for ARBs. Five monthly sampling campaigns were conducted at three sites along the Arrone River. A total of 127 ARBs, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio spp., were isolated from APSs and raw water (RW) and characterized at the microbiological and molecular levels. APSs recovered more ARBs than RW and captured key antibiotic resistance genes, including class 1 integrons and genes associated with β-lactam, carbapenem, tetracycline, sulfonamide, aminoglycoside, chloramphenicol, and efflux pump-mediated resistance. Overall, APSs proved to be an efficient, cost-effective, reproducible, and minimally invasive tool for monitoring ARBs and ARGs in aquatic ecosystems.
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BibTeX
@article{ferheen2026artificial,
title = {{Artificial plastic substrate for tracking and exploring antimicrobial-resistant bacteria transmission pathways in aquatic ecosystems}},
author = {Ifra Ferheen and Eline Boelee and Filippo Chiudioni and Maria Rosa Loffredo and Laura Mancini and Marco Martuzzi and Marc B. Neumann and Kevin Portune and Sonja Wanke and Stefania Marcheggiani},
journal = {iScience},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2026.118096},
url = {https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03479-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Artificial plastic substrate for tracking and exploring antimicrobial-resistant bacteria transmission pathways in aquatic ecosystems
AU - Ifra Ferheen
AU - Eline Boelee
AU - Filippo Chiudioni
AU - Maria Rosa Loffredo
AU - Laura Mancini
AU - Marco Martuzzi
AU - Marc B. Neumann
AU - Kevin Portune
AU - Sonja Wanke
AU - Stefania Marcheggiani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - iScience
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.118096
UR - https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03479-6
AB - Investigating the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) in aquatic ecosystems is challenging because conventional methods require large volumes of water, particularly difficult to collect in regions affected by climate-related stress. This study developed and evaluated artificial plastic substrates (APSs) as an effective sampling tool and assessed the potential role of plastic as a transmission vector for ARBs. Five monthly sampling campaigns were conducted at three sites along the Arrone River. A total of 127 ARBs, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrio spp., were isolated from APSs and raw water (RW) and characterized at the microbiological and molecular levels. APSs recovered more ARBs than RW and captured key antibiotic resistance genes, including class 1 integrons and genes associated with β-lactam, carbapenem, tetracycline, sulfonamide, aminoglycoside, chloramphenicol, and efflux pump-mediated resistance. Overall, APSs proved to be an efficient, cost-effective, reproducible, and minimally invasive tool for monitoring ARBs and ARGs in aquatic ecosystems.
SN - 2589-0042
ER -