Characterisation of Antibiotic Resistomes in Selected Geothermal Springs in Sri Lanka

Geothermal hot springs are extreme environments and could also be reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant genes. The inhabiting organisms can transfer these resistant genes to clinically essential pathogens, enabling antibiotic resistance development. There is strong evidence to suggest that the clinically important pathogenic resistant genes originated from the environment due to direct gene exchange between the environmental resistomes and clinical resistomes. The project focuses on recognising the antibiotic-resistant microbes in Sri Lankan hot springs and characterising their antibiotic-resistant genes.