A workflow for the detection of antibiotic residues, measurement of water chemistry and preservation of hospital sink drain samples for metagenomic sequencing.

Background: Hospital sinks are environmental reservoirs that harbour healthcare-associated (HCA) pathogens. Selective pressures in sink environments, such as antibiotic residues, nutrient waste and hardness ions, may promote antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) exchange between bacteria. However, cheap and accurate sampling methods to characterize these factors are lacking.

Niche and local geography shape the pangenome of wastewater- and livestock-associated Enterobacteriaceae.

and other Enterobacteriaceae are diverse species with "open" pangenomes, where genes move intra- and interspecies via horizontal gene transfer. However, most analyses focus on clinical isolates. The pangenome dynamics of natural populations remain understudied, despite their suggested role as reservoirs for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes.