You are cordially invited to participate in the Research Seminar by the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES). 

Antibiotics are pharmaceuticals that prevent or treat bacterial infections in people or animals. They primarily enter the environment through human and animal waste streams, direct addition to aquaculture or crop production systems, and effluents from manufacturing factories. Unfortunately, bacterial pathogens of human and animal health concern are developing resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. This is happening at a pace that is causing serious concern that the efficacy of these crucially important medicines will be lost with dire concern for public health. The environment has a crucially important role to play in the development and transmission of antibiotic resistance, and is integral to what has been coined the One Health continuum, through which bacteria readily circulate. This presentation will review aspects of the fate and impacts of selected antibiotics on terrestrial communities of bacteria, highlighting some recent findings and current knowledge gaps with respect to crop production systems, and endpoints that are of human health concern. Individuals with a particular interest on this topic are encouraged to read a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme: https://www.unep.org/resources/superbugs/environmental-action

Details are as follows: