Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli Populations from Water or Sediment in Rivers Environments

This study compared antibiotic-resistant E. coli in river water and sediment, examining how bacteria form biofilms and stabilize resistance in these environments. Microplastics in aquatic environments are known to promote biofilm formation and concentrate antibiotic resistance genes, amplifying this public health concern.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm Formation and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates from Two Healthcare Facilities in Zaria

Not relevant to microplastics research; this paper investigates antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates from Nigerian hospitals, with no connection to microplastic pollution.

2023 Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors Affecting Biofilm Formation and the Effects of These Factors on Bacteria

This review examined the many factors—including strain type, temperature, pH, surface properties, and hydrodynamic conditions—that affect bacterial biofilm formation, and discusses how biofilms influence bacterial behavior, antibiotic resistance, and pathogenicity.

2025 IntechOpen eBooks 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic concentration, composition, and size on Escherichia coli biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance

This study examined how different types of microplastics affect the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria through biofilm formation. The researchers found that the concentration, composition, and size of microplastic particles all influence how effectively bacteria like E. coli develop drug resistance. These findings are important because they help explain how widespread plastic pollution may be contributing to the growing global crisis of antibiotic resistance.

2025 Applied and Environmental Microbiology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Antibiotic Resistance Mediated by Escherichia coli in Kuwait Marine Environment as Revealed through Genomic Analysis

Researchers used genomic analysis to identify antibiotic resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolated from mollusks and coastal water samples in Kuwait's marine environment. The study found that Kuwait's coastal waters, vulnerable to sewage contamination from storm outlets and waste disposal, harbor E. coli carrying multiple antibiotic resistance gene elements including integrons and plasmids.

2023 Antibiotics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular Detection of PapC and hlyA Virulence Genes in Escherichia coli from Clinical Isolates in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it detects virulence genes in Escherichia coli clinical isolates from hospitals in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, focused on antibiotic resistance.

2023 East African Scholars Journal of Medical Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains Recovered from Selected Aquatic Resources in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and Its Significance to Public Health

Researchers recovered pathogenic Escherichia coli strains from aquatic environments in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, finding evidence of antimicrobial resistance genes and highlighting the public health significance of waterway contamination as a pathway for resistance proliferation.

2018 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Multiple Bacterial Strategies to Survive Antibiotic Pressure: A Review

This review examined multiple bacterial strategies for surviving antibiotic pressure, including genetic mutations, efflux pumps, biofilm formation, and horizontal gene transfer, highlighting how resistance reservoirs exist beyond hospital settings.

2023 Preprints.org 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation on microplastics and interactions with antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in aquatic environment

This review explains how microplastics in waterways develop bacterial biofilms on their surfaces that can harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria and help spread antibiotic resistance genes to new environments. This is concerning for human health because these resistant microbes could eventually reach people through drinking water or seafood consumption.

2024 Eco-Environment & Health 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Growth and prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in microplastic biofilm from wastewater treatment plant effluents

Researchers studied antibiotic-resistant bacteria growing in biofilms on microplastic surfaces in wastewater treatment plant effluent. The study found that microplastic biofilms accumulated antibiotic-resistant bacteria including Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and Bacillus, and that these biofilms harbored higher concentrations of resistance genes compared to surrounding water, suggesting microplastics may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in patients undergoing cutaneous ureterostomy

Researchers applied metagenomic next-generation sequencing alongside urine culture to diagnose urinary tract infections in patients with cutaneous ureterostomy. The study found that combining these methods provides more comprehensive diagnostic information, and identified specific cytokines and microorganisms as promising biomarkers for building effective diagnostic models for this patient population.

2023 Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Metagenomic insights into taxonomic, functional diversity and inhibitors of microbial biofilms

This review examines the structure, diversity, and quorum-sensing mechanisms of microbial biofilms, highlighting metagenomic approaches for understanding how biofilms promote antibiotic resistance and pathogen spread in hospitals and industrial settings.

2022 Microbiological Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ICU patients and hospital surfaces: β-lactamase burden, biofilm formation and clonal spread

Researchers characterized 216 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from ICU patients and hospital surfaces in Brazil, finding that 30.5% were multidrug-resistant, 77.3% formed strong biofilms, and clonal analysis revealed cross-hospital transmission — highlighting the role of hospital environments in spreading antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

2026 European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
Article Tier 2

Comparison of the Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli Populations from Water and Biofilm in River Environments

Researchers compared antibiotic resistance in E. coli populations from river water versus sediment and biofilm samples at locations upstream and downstream of urban areas in Austria. They found that biofilm and sediment environments harbored bacteria with higher rates of antibiotic resistance compared to the water column. The study suggests that river biofilms may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with implications for how pollutants including microplastics interact with microbial communities.

2024 Pathogens 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential survival of potentially pathogenic, septicemia- and meningitis-causing E. coli across the wastewater treatment train

Researchers screened E. coli isolates from Canadian wastewater treatment plant effluents and found that 86 isolates carried virulence markers characteristic of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains capable of causing septicemia and meningitis. Many isolates belonged to pandemic lineages (ST131, ST95, ST73) and survived chlorination, indicating that conventional wastewater treatment does not adequately eliminate clinically important pathogenic E. coli.

2022 npj Clean Water 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as a novel facilitator for antimicrobial resistance: Effects of concentration, composition, and size on Escherichia coli multidrug resistance

This study examined how microplastics facilitate antimicrobial resistance by acting as a surface for the co-selection of resistant bacteria, finding that plastic surfaces enrich resistance genes and transfer-capable elements in aquatic environments.

2024
Article Tier 2

Total coliform and Escherichia coli in microplastic biofilms grown in wastewater and inactivation by peracetic acid

Researchers found that microplastics support the growth of fecal indicator bacteria including E. coli in biofilms, and that these biofilm communities are more resistant to disinfection by peracetic acid than free-floating cells. The findings support concerns that microplastics act as vectors for pathogens and complicate wastewater disinfection.

2020 Water Environment Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as active modulators of Escherichia coli biofilm characteristics and their implications on the development of antimicrobial resistance

Researchers found that E. coli biofilms grown in the presence of microplastic beads developed significantly enhanced tolerance to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, with approximately 60% of cells surviving exposure compared to minimal survival in controls. The microplastic-associated biofilms were nearly seven times thicker and showed enriched extracellular matrix components, suggesting that microplastics may actively promote antimicrobial resistance development.

2026 Biofilm
Article Tier 2

Time-course biofilm formation and presence of antibiotic resistance genes on everyday plastic items deployed in river waters

Researchers tracked biofilm formation on everyday plastic items deployed in a river over one year, finding that sampling site (reflecting level of human impact) was the strongest driver of microbial diversity, and that antibiotic resistance genes were present on plastic surfaces throughout.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating Biofilms: Advanced Methods for Comprehending Microbial Behavior and Antibiotic Resistance

This review summarizes recent advances in biofilm research, focusing on how communities of microorganisms form protective layers on surfaces and become resistant to antibiotics. The sticky matrix that holds biofilms together plays a key role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because microplastics in the environment serve as surfaces where these resistant biofilms can form and spread.

2024 Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilms: hot spots of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in aquatic environments, with a focus on a new HGT mechanism

This review covers horizontal gene transfer in aquatic biofilms, with emphasis on antibiotic resistance gene spread, and introduces membrane vesicles as a newly recognized HGT mechanism by which bacteria share genetic material, with implications for understanding resistance spread on microplastic surfaces.

2020 FEMS Microbiology Ecology 396 citations
Article Tier 2

Aeromonas spp. in Freshwater Bodies: Antimicrobial Resistance and Biofilm Assembly

Researchers isolated Aeromonas bacteria from freshwater sources and examined their ability to resist antibiotics and form protective biofilms. They found that many strains carried multiple antibiotic resistance genes and could form biofilms that made them harder to eliminate. The study highlights the role of freshwater environments as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can potentially affect both animal and human health.

2024 Antibiotics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A review focusing on mechanisms and ecological risks of enrichment and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements by microplastic biofilms

This review examines how microplastics in water serve as surfaces for bacterial biofilms that harbor antibiotic resistance genes. The biofilms that form on microplastic surfaces can spread resistance genes to other bacteria and potentially to organisms that ingest them, including fish and ultimately humans. The authors highlight that microplastic-associated antibiotic resistance is an underappreciated public health risk that needs more research.

2024 Environmental Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Horizontal Gene Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Biofilms

This review explains how bacteria living in biofilms -- sticky communities attached to surfaces -- can rapidly share antibiotic resistance genes with each other through horizontal gene transfer, spreading resistance faster than free-floating bacteria. This is relevant to microplastic pollution because microplastics provide ideal surfaces for biofilm formation, potentially acting as hotspots for the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

2023 Antibiotics 443 citations