Metagenomic analyses of pristine, Arctic environments for the risk assessment

: evaluation of antibiotic resistance genes presence

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health challenge, and it is essential to understand its origin and spread in different ecosystems. This study investigated microbial diversity and antibiotic resistance genes in soils from the Arctic, an extreme and underexplored environment. Classical microbiological and metagenomic approaches were used to characterize the microbiota and assess the presence of antibiotic resistance genes. The results revealed significant microbial diversity and the presence of resistance genes, even in areas with no apparent anthropogenic impact. The metagenomic analysis indicated that resistance may be associated with natural mechanisms of microbial adaptation, reinforcing the need for environmental monitoring to better understand the risks of antimicrobial resistance spread. These findings contribute to the assessment of the ecological risk of antimicrobial resistance.

Date of Award	18 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Lukasz Jacek Dziewit (Supervisor) & Przemyslaw Decewicz (Co-Supervisor)