Background

I am a biologist specialized in microbiology. My first research steps were as a food microbiologist but for the last 6 years, I have focused on tackling antibiotic resistance in wastewater environments.

I am interested in applied research and collaborating with stakeholders outside academia. 

Research

Wastewater is a key vector for the dissemination of anthropogenic-related antibiotic resistance towards natural environments. Understanding the ecological factors that might affect the dynamics and removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes during wastewater treatment is fundamental for the design of new mitigation strategies. 

During my PhD, I evaluated the presence and removal of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater and biosolids. My main goal was to identify the role of wastewater system design, operational parameters, and abiotic factors (i.e. rainfall) on ARG removal dynamics. I also studied different conditions that might influence the spread of ARGs through the conjugal transfer of plasmids using in vitro and in situ experimental setups.

From May 2021 I have joined the GrahAM research group as a Research Assistant to study the dynamics of plasmid transfer in Indian rivers on the AMRflows project