Project 3

Chemical Perturbations and Microbiome Functioning

Anthropogenic chemicals play a major role in the perturbation of microbiomes. However, our knowledge about the impact of these widespread, almost ubiquitous pollutants on microbiome function and host interactions is surprisingly incomplete because until recently, no adequate tools for directly tackling this important research were available. In project 3, we will focus on two major groups of anthropogenic chemicals: pharmaceuticals and tire wear particles.

We will study how the most commonly used pharmaceuticals in Austria affect the composition and function of human gut microbiomes and how these chemical microbiome perturbations are linked to treatment side effects such as the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, and therapy efficiency. Furthermore, we will pave the way for understanding biotransformation of these pharmaceuticals, which perturb human gut, sewer, and wastewater treatment microbiomes.

We will also investigate perturbations by microplastics and toxic additives of tire wear particles in-situ from soil and sediment to host- associated (human, plants, and animals) microbiomes. We aim to significantly improve our understanding of microbiome perturbation by emerging pollutants across systems. These insights will also serve as a strong basis for targeted microbiome manipulation strategies.