ur research focuses on the intersection of aquatic environmental microbiology and public health within a One Health framework. Specifically, we investigate the role of aquaculture systems and the fish gut microbiome as dynamic hotspots for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and the amplification of mobile antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). We are seeking to join an international consortium under Water4All to contribute expertise in AMR surveillance, microbial ecology, and the assessment of biological risk factors in aquatic ecosystems.
Key Research Themes & Methods: * Environmental & Aquaculture AMR: Tracking the dissemination of resistance elements (e.g., plasmid-mediated resistance, Class 1 integrons) between environmental water systems, aquaculture environments, and host-associated microbiomes. * Gut Microbiome as an In Vivo Hotspot: Exploring how the physiological microenvironment of the fish gastrointestinal tract accelerates HGT rates between environmental and clinical bacterial strains under physiological stress. * Diagnostic & Molecular Toolkit: Leveraging selective culturing, conjugative transfer assays, qPCR quantification, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in close collaboration with clinical diagnostic laboratories.
Topic 1. Integrated Monitoring and Assessment for Sustainable Water Management
Our research focuses on the intersection of aquatic environmental microbiology and public health within a One Health framework. Specifically, we investigate the role of aquaculture systems and the fish gut microbiome as dynamic hotspots for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and the amplification of mobile antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). We are seeking to join an international consortium under Water4All to contribute expertise in AMR surveillance, microbial ecology, and the assessment of biological risk factors in aquatic ecosystems.
Key Research Themes & Methods: * Environmental & Aquaculture AMR: Tracking the dissemination of resistance elements (e.g., plasmid-mediated resistance, Class 1 integrons) between environmental water systems, aquaculture environments, and host-associated microbiomes. * Gut Microbiome as an In Vivo Hotspot: Exploring how the physiological microenvironment of the fish gastrointestinal tract accelerates HGT rates between environmental and clinical bacterial strains under physiological stress. * Diagnostic & Molecular Toolkit: Leveraging selective culturing, conjugative transfer assays, qPCR quantification, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in close collaboration with clinical diagnostic laboratories.
* antimicrobial resistance (amr) & args, * horizontal gene transfer (hgt), * aquatic & aquaculture microbiomes, * one health & environmental monitoring