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Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Published on: May 2, 2018

Evolution of antibiotic resistance.

F Baquero¹, J Blázquez

¹The Dept of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajai Hospital, National Institute of Health (INSALUD), C. Colmenar km 9,1, 28034 Madrid, Spain.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|January 18, 2011

Summary

The global rise in antimicrobial resistance threatens medical progress. Environmental antibiotic pressure accelerates microbial evolution and the spread of resistance genes, risking a return to a pre-antibiotic era.

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Epidemiology
Evolutionary biology

Background:

The global spread of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents poses a significant threat to modern medicine.
Industrial production and widespread use of antibiotics create substantial environmental antibiotic pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanisms driving the genesis, selection, and dispersal of antimicrobial resistance.
To explore strategies for controlling the accelerating trend of microbial resistance.

Main Methods:

Focus on research into the mechanisms of resistance genetic determinant development.
Utilizing molecular epidemiology and mathematical modeling to study resistance trends.

Main Results:

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Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

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Published on: May 2, 2018

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach

Published on: December 14, 2019

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Published on: March 3, 2023

Environmental antibiotic pressure increases the diversity of resistant bacterial phenotypes.
This pressure selects for the fittest resistant bacteria and promotes the dispersal of resistance genes.
These factors significantly accelerate the rate of microbial evolution.

Conclusions:

The accelerating microbial evolution driven by antibiotic resistance is a critical global health concern.
Molecular epidemiology and mathematical models offer potential strategies to combat this trend.
Interventions are needed to prevent a return to a pre-antibiotic era.