Bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance via conjugative plasmids that are able to transfer between individual bacteria. Given the high bacterial density, the human gut serves as a potential environment for the spread of resistance plasmids into new host bacteria. Antibiotic therapies enrich antibiotic resistance in the gut, however, there is a major knowledge gap in how frequently the resistance plasmids spread and which mechanistic and ecological barriers control their spread during antibiotic exposure. This study explores the dissemination of resistance plasmids in the human gut microbiome during antibiotic treatment by using new single-cell technologies and investigates the roles of bacterial defense systems, namely CRISPRs, in controlling the dispersal of antibiotic resistance. The study will emphasize the potential effects of commonly used antibiotic therapies on the antibiotic resistance of the gut and mechanisms affecting its dispersal.

2023

2027