Spatiotemporal Links: Antibiotic resistance in eDNA & pollution
The Goswami Lab is seeking a student to join a long-term research initiative focused on assessing how heavy metals and organic carbon are distributed across soil and wastewater samples over time and space. Selected student will examine the accumulation and seasonal fluctuations of heavy metals, organic carbon, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) linked to extracellular DNA (eDNA) and a direct study of the history of industrialization and land-use. We expect studying eDNA will allows broad and sensitive detection of bacterial taxa present in an environment, including those not actively growing, making it a powerful tool for biodiversity and ecological studies. Student will be given an opportunity to develop their independent research under PI supervision. For instance, depending on student interests, the research may also connect the structure and function of microbial communities and explore how metal pollution impacts antimicrobial resistance in the environment.
Students interested in interdisciplinary research encompassing environmental chemistry, microbiology, and the environmental legacy of industrialization are encouraged to apply. Key responsibilities include sample preparation, organic carbon metal analysis, DNA extraction and preparing a written report, with opportunities to get involved in manuscript development and poster presentations. Interested students’ can also receive additional training in biostatistical analysis, data visualization using R and data interpretation. This role is designed to help students build essential research skills, including literature review, integration of multidisciplinary approaches, statistical analysis, scientific writing, and effective research communication.
Students passionate about the environmental impact of antibiotic resistance will gain hands-on experience in a cutting-edge, impactful research field. Student will directly work on integrating ARG analysis in eDNA with pollution profiling and site industrialization history through spatio-temporal sampling to obtain a holistic view of environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance. This approach uncovers causes, persistence, and risks of resistance gene dissemination, guiding science-based interventions for ecosystem and human health protection.
The selected student will gain a unique set of skills that go beyond a single field. Participating in the project will provide an opportunity to learn to handle spatiotemporal data, tracking change in heavy metals and link with ARGs over both space and time, which is a key aspect of real-world environmental research.