Use of bacteriophage therapy to control antimicrobial resistance bacteria during wastewater treatment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14864
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 22060:Environmental systems for civil engineering-related
• Research Institution: Hachinohe National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Lee Suntae 八戸工業高等専門学校, その他部局等, 准教授 (60771962)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 薬剤耐性菌 / 抗生物質耐性大腸菌 / 大腸菌ファージ / 下水処理場 / ファージセラピー / 制御方法 / 存在実態 / ファージ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to reduce antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) content in wastewater treatment plants using bacteriophage (phage) in the secondary treatment phase. The effectiveness of reducing ARB content by spiking wastewater with phage was evaluated in a laboratory by treating isolated ARB with phages from wastewater samples. Before biological treatment, the percentage of ARB isolates that have the same antibiotic resistance as the added ARB was 90%~100%. After biological treatment without phage cocktail, this percentage was over 90%. In contrast, this percentage was 5%~83% after biological treatment with phage cocktail. These results suggest that spiking phage can reduce ARB content during wastewater treatment.

Free Research Field

環境工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

下水処理過程においてファージを添加することで薬剤耐性菌の割合を減らせることを確認できた。このような成果は、環境工学分野において新たな視点でのファージセラピーの利用可能性を確認することができたと考えられる。薬剤耐性菌の問題は環境分野のみならず、ヒト、動物、農業、食品の各分野においても問題となっているため、One healthアプローチの視野に立ち、全ての分野でこれらの研究成果を応用することができると期待される。