Date of Graduation
12-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Cell & Molecular Biology (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Cell & Molecular Biology
Advisor/Mentor
Zhang, Wen
Committee Member
Hestekin, Christa
Second Committee Member
Millett, Francis S.
Third Committee Member
Lewis, Jeffrey
Keywords
Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes; iDNA and eDNA Recovery; Intracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes; Microbial Community; Wastewater Treatment; Water Quality Parameter
Abstract
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) including antibiotics and the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can persist in the environment and pose serious threats to both public health and ecological systems. In natural environments, ARGs exist in two forms: intracellular (iARGs) and extracellular (eARGs). The widespread use of antibiotics in human healthcare and animal agriculture has accelerated the dissemination of both iARGs and eARGs, which can spread through vertical and horizontal gene transfer and persist even after wastewater treatment. Consequently, removing these contaminants is becoming increasingly essential, particularly for applications such as food production and drinking water supply. This dissertation seeks to address this issue with a view to investigating the fate of iARGs and eARGs in aquatic system. First, several extraction methods for isolating iARGs and eARGs were compared using synthetic water, and the most efficient method was then applied to environmental water samples. Second, the dynamics and removal efficiency of iARGs and eARGs were examined across different stages of wastewater treatment to evaluate how effectively these genes are eliminated. Finally, concentrations of both iARGs and eARGs were correlated to water parameters and microbial community to understand how these factors affect the behavior of various pools of ARGs during wastewater treatment processes. These studies advance the field of antibiotic resistance research in water by aiding in understanding into the development and optimization of the iARG and eARG extraction protocol that delivers the highest recovery efficiency as well as improve on wastewater treatment strategies specifically designed to eliminate ARGs of concern from reclaimed water, thereby mitigating potential risks to animal and human health.
Citation
Parveen, S. (2025). Fate of Intra and Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Aquatic System. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6060
