Microplastics and Carbapenem Resistance Plasmid Transfer in ICU Pathogens

Featuring experimental results from a study investigating how microplastics enhance the horizontal transfer of carbapenemase resistance plasmids among CRE pathogens under simulated ICU conditions. The study quantified conjugation frequencies and assessed biofilm formation, finding a significant increase in plasmid transfer efficiency, including a 3.96-fold increase in a hyperglycemic environment. The data supports the analysis of environmental drivers for antibiotic resistance spread in clinical settings.

Use Cases

• Analyze the correlation between microplastic exposure and quantified conjugation frequencies of carbapenemase plasmids among CRE strains.
• Model the synergistic effect of simulated diabetic ICU urine environments on plasmid transfer efficiency, which increased by more than 3.96-fold.
• Assess the influence of MPs on recipient biofilm formation, a key facilitator for genetic exchange, using data from crystal violet assays and confocal microscopy.
• Compare plasmid transfer rates under plastic-free control conditions versus MP-exposed conditions to isolate the environmental catalyst effect.

Strengths

• Experimental design includes controlled plastic-free conditions and simulated ICU environments, including hyperglycemic media.
• Results show statistically significant findings, with p < 0.001 for MPs enhancing conjugation rates.
• Study quantifies a specific 3.96-fold increase in plasmid transfer efficiency under a synergistic condition.

Limitations

• The dataset is presented as a 2.6 MB PDF, limiting direct computational analysis and requiring manual data extraction.
• Sample data and specific column structures are unavailable, obscuring the raw data's granularity and format.
• The experimental scope is focused on simulated ICU conditions, which may not fully capture real-world clinical complexity.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Yongliang Ni.

Collection Method

Laboratory experiments co-incubating CRE isolates and carbapenemase-producing plasmids with characterized microplastics under simulated conditions.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-20.