Editorial: Exposure, risks, and drivers of the mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment – a global perspective

Authors: Brooks, John; Durso, Lisa; Ibekwe, Abasiofiok - Mark

Submitted to: Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2021
Publication Date: 11/30/2021
Citation: Brooks, J.P., Durso, L.M., Ibekwe, A.M. 2021. Editorial: Exposure, risks, and drivers of the mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment – a global perspective. Frontiers in Microbiology. 12:1-3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.803282.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.803282

Interpretive Summary: The purpose of this editorial is to summarize the journal articles in this special section of Frontiers in Microbiology: Exposure, Risks, and Drivers of the Mobile Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in the Environment – a Global Perspective. In this special section we cover journal articles covering antimicrobial resistant bacteria in food animal and human sources, their fate in the environment, and finally their intersection with the public.

Technical Abstract: antibiotic resistance in water, soil, air, and wildlife, at a time when the focus of antibiotic resistance work was primarily on human clinical settings. The paper provided a framework that built on Dr. Allen’s Ph.D. work with Dr. Jo Handelsman, integrating microbial ecology with the then-new metagenomic sequencing tools to probe antibiotic resistance in natural and agricultural settings. The paper defined priority research topics that have guided a generation of researchers in the field and has received over 1,900 citations to date. Dr. Allen’s “Call of the Wild” highlighted the important role of naturally occurring antibiotic resistance; the diversity and role of antibiotic resistance genes in bacterial communities from both naturally occurring and human-impacted sites; and the need to better understand factors contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria and their genes in the environment. These are the topics covered by this current Frontiers Research Topic “Exposure, Risks, and Drivers of the Mobile Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in the Environment – a Global Perspective”. After leaving the Handelsman laboratory, Dr. Allen took a position at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Ames Iowa. While the focus of her antibiotic resistance research shifted to the gut microbiome of swine, she remained a thought leader in the field of environmental antibiotic resistance. During her short career she received numerous awards for her work on antibiotic resistance, including the prestigious Arthur S. Flemming award for scientific achievements, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Heather had a sharply analytical mind, visionary creativity, and a talent for writing that changed the conversation around environmental antibiotic resistance. She leaves a lasting and positive influence on the field, both through her innovative research, and through her gracious collegiality. The potential sources and movement of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria and antibiotic resistance determinants (ARD) through the soil and water can lead to a seemingly endless web of interconnected public health consequences and the environment. While we, generally, are aware of the many sources of AMR, we still don’t understand the environmental fate and ultimately the public health consequences of AMR bacteria. The goal of this research topic is to present current research on the source of AMR from both anthropogenic and animal sources, elaborate on the potential movement through the environment, and present new approaches to surveying for AMR and ARD. Animal and Human Sources of AMR The human and animal sources of AMR have long been tied to spread to the environment. Long considered a major source for environmental pollution, these respective sources are key control points in the reduction of AMR in the environment. Animal feeding operations and municipal wastewater treatment plants are considered “ideal” milieu for promoting the proliferation of AMR and selection and exchange of ARD. In the current special section, we have gathered international contributions from teams working on the presence of AMR in the environment, with those focusing on farm and wastewater treatment plants. While foodborne bacterial pathogens are typically investigated, and rightly so, we have papers focused on commensal bacteria as well. We have gathered papers covering the diversity of gene cassettes in commensal E. coli at swine farms (Zhang et al., 2020) to whole genome sequencing of common foodborne pathogen indicator species, such as vancomycin resistant Enterococcus spp. (Foka et al., 2020). Poultry production in Brazil is covered by original research demonstrating extended spectrum beta lactamase producing E. coli in samples through production and the immediate food production environment (Gazal et. Al., 2021). On farm