Emanuele Greco

Dr. Emanuele Greco

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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2 August 2024 in Antibiotics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
GMGiovanni Milani
Giovanni Milani
CLAUDIA CORTIMIGLIACLAUDIA CORTIMIGLIA
CLAUDIA CORTIMIGLIA
MDMireya Viviana Belloso Daza
Mireya Viviana Belloso Daza
EGEmanuele Greco
Emanuele Greco
Daniela BassiDaniela Bassi
Daniela Bassi
PCPier Sandro Cocconcelli
Pier Sandro Cocconcelli
The global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is exacerbated by the mobilization of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) occurring in different environmental niches, including seawater. Marine environments serve as reservoirs for resistant bacteria and ARGs, further complicated by the ubiquity of microplastics (MPs). MPs can adsorb pollutants and promote bacterial biofilm formation, creating conditions favorable to the dissemination of ARGs. This study explores the dynamics of ARG transfer in the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis within a seawater model, focusing on the influence of polyethylene MPs on the mobilization of the Tn916-carrying tetM gene and plasmid-encoded ermB. Experiments revealed that biofilm formation on MPs by Enterococcus faecium and Listeria monocytogenes facilitated the transfer of the tetM resistance gene, but not the ermB gene. Furthermore, the presence of MPs significantly increased the conjugation frequency of tetM within mussels, indicating that MPs enhance the potential for ARG mobilization in marine environments. These findings highlight the role of MPs and marine organisms in ARG spread, underscoring the ecological and public health implications.