Employment of Electrogenic Bacteria for In-Situ Degradation of Microplastics and Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Wastewater Systems

Objective

This project will address two major problems in wastewater: microplastics and antimicrobial resistance. Microplastics are not fully removed by treatment plants and often carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes. This creates a risk to human and environmental health. The project will develop a new type of bioelectrochemical reactor that uses special bacteria to break down microplastics and reduce resistance genes. It will also produce electricity during the treatment process. The research has three main steps. First, the fellow will collect samples from polluted sites to find useful bacteria. Second, the fellow will study how these bacteria work using DNA and protein analysis. Third, the fellow will test the system in a small reactor that simulates real wastewater conditions. This will show if the approach can work in practice. The project is the first of its kind in Ireland. It will support the goals of the EPA Research 2030 strategy, Ireland’s AMR Action Plan, and the EU Green Deal. It will help Ireland build new skills in environmental biotechnology and show how science can support cleaner water and better public health.