Research Progress in Area 2 方向 ( 二 ) 課題進展 117 Abstract The estuarine ecosystem is subjected to widespread pollution of antibiotics and other selection agents (e.g., metals, biocides etc.), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and pathogens from land-based consumptions in agricultural, municipal and clinical settings as well as from the mariculture use. Therefore, it is imperative to address the critical knowledge gaps. To this end, Prof. Li’s team aims to conduct an innovative research for identifying bacterial resistance in marine ecosystems to delineate key drivers shaping the diversity and biogeography of ARGs in this important estuary ecosystem to sea food. With key potentials of knowledge generation and technology dissemination, the proposed research project would help the regulatory bodies in the Greater Bay Area and beyond concerning marine ecosystem health and seafood safety to safeguard coastal environmental quality and human health at regional and global scales. Research Activities and Progress • Undertook a sampling programme at a typical mariculture farm in Sai Kung. • Evaluated phenotypic resistances of pathogens or other bacteria isolated from fish tissues, seawater and sediment by antimicrobial susceptibility testing. • Performed metagenomic sequencing for the total genomic DNA extracted from fish tissues, seawater and sediment. • Performed whole genome sequencing for the isolated resistant pathogens or bacteria strain. Key Findings • The pathogen species isolated from fish edible tissues all belonged to Staphylococcus. • Most of the pathogen species isolated were resistant to 1-3 antibiotics tested. • Fish edible tissue could be the main habitat of pathogens with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compared with the fish gut. • The ARG-MGE carrying contigs (cAMP-vanRIS630 and PvrR-IS3) may contribute to the potential transmission of ARGs in mariculture products. Research Output Publication 0 Trained personnel 2 A Novel Assessment Platform to Delineate Transmission of Antimicrobial Resistance from Sea-food Related Marine Ecosystems to Coastal Population Prof. Xiangdong Li The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Fig 1. Metagenomic Profiles of ARGs in Fish Edible Tissue and Environmental Samples
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