Eco-evolutionary interactions and the spread of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic microbial communities

As pathogens and other microbes become progressively resistant to antibiotics, there is a growing world-wide concern that their use for treating and preventing diseases is rapidly becoming less effective and unsustainable. An important mechanism in the evolution of antibiotic resistance is horizontal gene transfer (HGT), as it is one of the most effective ways of transferring information between bacteria. Until now, HGT has experimentally mainly been studied in single bacterial populations. Yet, bacterial pathogens often do not live in isolation. It is therefore important to understand the role of HGT in the spread of antimicrobial resistance in a community context. This will be crucial for elucidating the nature of polymicrobial infections, given that ecological interactions and the microbial context can greatly impact bacterial growth and antibiotic efficacy. In this project, we investigate the community conjugation rates of pathogens isolated from polymicrobial urinary tract infections (UTIs). My research will provide fundamental knowledge on HGT in infectious communities by identifying eco-evolutionary principles that govern the rate of HGT and the spread of antimicrobial resistance in polymicrobial communities.