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Bringing Community Ecology to Bear on the Issue of Antimicrobial Resistance
- Source :
- Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol 10 (2019)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media S.A., 2019.
-
Abstract
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern, pertaining not only to human health but also to the health of industry and the environment. AMR research has traditionally focused on genetic exchange mechanisms and abiotic environmental constraints, leaving important aspects of microbial ecology unresolved. The genetic and ecological aspects of AMR, however, not only contribute separately to the problem but also are interrelated. For example, mutualistic associations among microbes such as biofilms can both serve as a barrier to antibiotic penetration and a breeding ground for horizontal exchange of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). In this review, we elucidate how species interactions promote and impede the establishment, maintenance, and spread of ARGs and indicate how management initiatives might benefit from leveraging the principles and tools of community ecology to better understand and manipulate the processes underlying AMR.
- Subjects :
- antibiotic
biofilm
competition
consortia
mutualism
predation
Microbiology
QR1-502
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1664302X
- Volume :
- 10
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Microbiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.9d7fb0f629714b65bc6f2da3a88e0a20
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02626