Abstract
There is a clear clinical concern about the implications of increasing antibiotic resistance. However, the significance of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the water environment is unknown. The main research question in which this research project was centered around was: Are waste water treatment plants in smaller communities releasing bacteria that contain antibiotic resistant genes into the environment? The effectiveness of waste water treatment plants in removing bacteria that could contain antibiotic resistance genes has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, waste water treatment plants may be releasing these bacteria, and their antibiotic resistance genes, back into the environment. This project initially began with the intent of characterizing the tetracycline (A) gene which codes for resistance to tetracycline. However, over the course of the research project, the objective instead became to determine whether the bacteria in samples collected downstream from a waste water treatment plant in Lexington, KY contained genes coding for resistance to vancomycin and/or erythromycin. A gene for vancomycin resistance was not found while an erythromycin resistant gene was. The implication of the release of these antibiotic resistant bugs into the environment via waste water treatment plants is currently largely unknown.
Semester/Year of Award
Spring 5-7-2015
Mentor
William J. Staddon
Mentor Department Affiliation
Biological Sciences
Access Options
Restricted Access Thesis
Document Type
Bachelor Thesis
Degree Name
Honors Scholars
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Department
Biological Sciences
Recommended Citation
Redmond, Katherine D., "Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Kentucky River as a Result of Agricultural Runoff and other Anthropogenic Influences" (2015). Honors Theses. 254.
https://encompass.eku.edu/honors_theses/254
