Genomic Analysis of Heavy Metal-Resistant Genes in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Abstract

The enhanced antibiotic resistance amid microorganisms has prompted many researchers to investigate the main source of heavy-metal resistance genes (HMRGs) in the environment. Therefore, the applications of molecular techniques have been identified as a sustainable biotechnological tool that could provide detailed information on how to identify HMRGs in the environment. In this chapter, detailed information on the application of a high-throughput sequencing-based metagenomic approach for assessing diversity, occurrence, and the level of assessment of mobile genetic elements and antibiotic resistance genes in aerobic and anaerobic sludge of a full-scale tannery wastewater treatment plant is highlighted. Detailed information is also provided on the abundance of functional genes present between the microbial communities, especially from previously reported sequencing reads from anaerobic and aerobic sludge. Relevant information is also provided on the genes coding for antibiotic resistance in the numerous communities and the application of BLAST analysis against the Antibiotic Resistance Genes Database to provide detailed information on the anaerobic and aerobic sludge having a higher abundance of HMRGs in the environment. Detailed information is also provided on microbial community and HMRGs, and their persistence in the treatment processes in the wastewater treatment plant and their relationship to bacterial diversity and mobile genetic elements that may lead to dissemination of resistance genes among microorganisms in the environment are highlighted.