Antibiotic Resistance Gene Quantification from Modern and Historical Soils

<p>The objective of the study is to quantify selected antibiotic resistance genes in agriculturally impacted soils and compare antibiotic resistance gene profile and amounts from soils collected over the past 60 years. Using ARS stored soil resources, along with soil samples from other collections, we will be evaluating antibiotic resistance genes in soils. In one set that will be particularly valuable, ARS has a set of soils collected at multiple sites across the Midwest in 1947. This is before the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock production. ARS scientists collected modern soils in 2018 from a subset of these plots, and will compare the numbers and types of resistance genes to determine the changes over time. Additional historical soils from this and other collections will be similarly assayed to provide a broad temporal framework of antibiotic resistance gene presence and concentration over time.</p>