This PhD project explores how selection for antimicrobial resistance can be affected by non-antibiotic drugs. It is funded by GW4 FRESH and AstraZeneca.

Non-antibiotic drugs (NADs) and antibiotics are present in the water released from wastewater treatment plants. They pass into the freshwater system where they are present in small quantities as micropollutants.

Previous data have shown that concentrations of antibiotics in the environment can select for resistance and there is also evidence that some NADs can affect bacteria.

However, it is not known whether NADs can select for resistance, and whether there is any effect between antibiotics and NADs in selecting for resistance in environmental bacteria.

This research will develop understanding in this area and its findings will inform water policy and regulation of wastewater treatment in order to mitigate the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance.