Project Number: 1930-32000-005-03
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Dec 20, 2009
End Date: Aug 20, 2013

Objective:
Better understanding of the environmental and host factors that influence antibiotic resistance gene transfer and utilize this information to formulate more sustainable ways of using antibiotics in agriculture.

Approach:
A green fluorescent protein-tagged derivative of an IncA/C plasmid, developed by the ARS PI, will be utilized to assess the in vivo host range of this plasmid family. This tool will also used to quantitatively assess the effect of antibacterial treatment on the maintenance and spread of this family of plasmids within the fish gut and within fish culture systems. Bacteria which have acquired this plasmid will be identified by virtue of the GFP tag and identified to species by 16S rDNA analysis.