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Project Topic
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of bacteria is no longer exclusively a human health problem, but also a veterinary, agricultural,
food safety, and environmental issue that requires comprehensive action in the spirit of a One Health approach. The misuse and
improper disposal of antibiotics are major contributors to the worrying trend of AMR emergence worldwide, with wastewater
and groundwater contamination being a factor that receives too little attention. There are numerous sources of antimicrobials
in aquatic systems, including livestock farming, aquaculture as well as industrial and medical waste, with dangerous effects on
flora, wildlife, and ecosystems. Bacteria are ubiquitous and abundant in the environment, and antibiotic pollution (even at low
concentrations) affects the ecology of microbial communities and favors, among other processes, the acquisition and spread of
AMR genes, which in turn increases the number of AMR bacteria that can potentially be transmitted to humans. In addition, the
presence of antibiotic residues in drinking water could directly pose a risk to human health by affecting the gut microbiota.
Active removal of antimicrobials and AMR bacteria from wastewater is therefore a necessity to enable safe reuse of water,
particularly in a region where water is a scarce resource and where climate change is putting even more pressure on water
quantity and quality.
Various physical and chemical methods can be used to remove antimicrobials from the environment, but the emergence of toxic
residues by these approaches has shifted the focus on bioremediation as a more environmentally friendly and sustainable
technique. Bioremediation uses different microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and microalgae, their enzymatic systems, as
well as activated sediments to break down complex hazardous compounds. It reduces, detoxifies, mineralizes, and changes
highly toxic chemicals into less toxic ones in an eco-friendly way without polluting the ecosystem. Bioremediation is an efficient
and cheap technique for antibiotic degradation and therefore represents a safe and sustainable approach to manage antibiotics
and AMR microbes present in wastewater.
In this study, we will monitor the microbiological quality of industrial and hospital wastewater in Alexandria and Borg El-Arab, as
well as in Amman and Irbid as examples of rural and urban cities in Egypt and Jordan, respectively. We will analyze the types and
concentrations of antibiotics as well as the AMR strains present in the wastewaters. Bioremediation and microbial competition
will then be used to manage antimicrobial waste and fight AMR strains. We will also design suitable pharmaceutical
formulations to ensure safe, effective and sustainable delivery of the selected bioremediation enzymes and microbes. The
project will serve as a pilot to be implemented in other sites of Egypt and Jordan. We will also use the findings to inform health
and environmental authorities for the design of wastewater national treatment policies. The project has the benefit of allowing
safe reuse of effluent water for agriculture and industrial purposes, partially solving the problem of water poverty in Egypt and
Jordan.
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