Gianuario Fortunato
ESR1: Measurement of the impact of antibiotic resistance (AR) discharge in wastewater and in soil: ecological aspects
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Celia Manaia
Host Institution: Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Gianuario Fortunato received in 2012 a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Bologna, Italy, and in 2015 an M.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the same University. During the bachelor’ and master’s internship he worked on the extracellular bioreduction of tellurite by the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter caspulatus. The main themes of his work was included the best metabolic conditions to allow the extracellular reduction of tellurite in native tellurium by Rhodobacter; a second part of this work was the determination of the tellurium nanoparticles by AFM (atomic force microscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Now, he is a Ph.D. student at Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. His work focuses on the measurement of the impact of antibiotic resistance discharge in wastewater and in soil: ecological aspects.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: During the ANSWER project, Gianuario Fortunato (ESR1) achieved significant results, as assessing the limit of quantification for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil, evaluate the survival of resistant bacteria in soil amended with different metal salts combination and sequence the genome of specific resistant bacteria (P. aeruginosa). The work carried was based on microbiology, molecular biology (quantitative PCR) and next-generation sequencing technique (whole genome sequencing and 16S rRNA micobial community analysis). Moreover, he had the opportunity to improve his language skills (English), learn fluent Portuguese and present his scientific results in three international conferences.
Supervisor: Dr. Celia Manaia
Host Institution: Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Gianuario Fortunato received in 2012 a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Bologna, Italy, and in 2015 an M.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the same University. During the bachelor’ and master’s internship he worked on the extracellular bioreduction of tellurite by the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter caspulatus. The main themes of his work was included the best metabolic conditions to allow the extracellular reduction of tellurite in native tellurium by Rhodobacter; a second part of this work was the determination of the tellurium nanoparticles by AFM (atomic force microscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Now, he is a Ph.D. student at Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. His work focuses on the measurement of the impact of antibiotic resistance discharge in wastewater and in soil: ecological aspects.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: During the ANSWER project, Gianuario Fortunato (ESR1) achieved significant results, as assessing the limit of quantification for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil, evaluate the survival of resistant bacteria in soil amended with different metal salts combination and sequence the genome of specific resistant bacteria (P. aeruginosa). The work carried was based on microbiology, molecular biology (quantitative PCR) and next-generation sequencing technique (whole genome sequencing and 16S rRNA micobial community analysis). Moreover, he had the opportunity to improve his language skills (English), learn fluent Portuguese and present his scientific results in three international conferences.
Roberto B.M. Marano
ESR2: Development and application of novel methods for targeting mobile genetic elements in wastewater and downstream environments
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Eddie Cytryn
Host Institution: Agriculture Research Organisation of Israel - The Volcani Center
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Roberto Marano received his B.Sc. degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Catania (Italy) in September 2012 and subsequently moved to the University of Trieste (Italy) for an M.Sc. in Functional Genomics. His theoretical background is focused on technologies characterizing the study of genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. He performed his thesis internship at the Yeast Molecular Genetics laboratory of the ICGEB institute of Trieste, from March 2014 to March 2015, developing an acute myeloid leukemia model in yeasts. In specific, his scientific experience is related to standard and novel molecular genetics techniques applied to microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Currently he is registered as a Ph.D. student to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) and he is performing his research in the lab of Dr. Eddie Cytryn (ARO). Within the framework of the ANSWER project his work is based on the development and application of novel methods for targeting mobile genetic elements in wastewater and downstream environments.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Roberto Marano (ESR2) has focused his research on the molecular aspects of antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems. Throughout his participation in the ANSWER project as an ESR, Roberto has explored the scopes of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Over his research period, Roberto has gained experience in cooperating with people from different academic fields developing critical thinking within "the big picture" of antibiotic resistance, while widening both technical and communication skills. Roberto's main scientific achievements include: pinpointing of ecological drivers that affect the spreading of antibiotic resistance genes between bacterial communities in agroecosystems; shedding light on the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on bacterial communities in simulated wastewater treatment; providing supportive evidence for optimizing the reduction of effluent-derived antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the exploitation of stabilization eco-reservoirs.
Supervisor: Dr. Eddie Cytryn
Host Institution: Agriculture Research Organisation of Israel - The Volcani Center
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Roberto Marano received his B.Sc. degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Catania (Italy) in September 2012 and subsequently moved to the University of Trieste (Italy) for an M.Sc. in Functional Genomics. His theoretical background is focused on technologies characterizing the study of genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. He performed his thesis internship at the Yeast Molecular Genetics laboratory of the ICGEB institute of Trieste, from March 2014 to March 2015, developing an acute myeloid leukemia model in yeasts. In specific, his scientific experience is related to standard and novel molecular genetics techniques applied to microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Currently he is registered as a Ph.D. student to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) and he is performing his research in the lab of Dr. Eddie Cytryn (ARO). Within the framework of the ANSWER project his work is based on the development and application of novel methods for targeting mobile genetic elements in wastewater and downstream environments.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Roberto Marano (ESR2) has focused his research on the molecular aspects of antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems. Throughout his participation in the ANSWER project as an ESR, Roberto has explored the scopes of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Over his research period, Roberto has gained experience in cooperating with people from different academic fields developing critical thinking within "the big picture" of antibiotic resistance, while widening both technical and communication skills. Roberto's main scientific achievements include: pinpointing of ecological drivers that affect the spreading of antibiotic resistance genes between bacterial communities in agroecosystems; shedding light on the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on bacterial communities in simulated wastewater treatment; providing supportive evidence for optimizing the reduction of effluent-derived antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the exploitation of stabilization eco-reservoirs.
Ioannis Kampouris
ESR3: Effect of wastewater irrigation on the passage of ARB&ARG towards ground/surface waters
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Prof. Thomas Berendonk
Host Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Ioannis Kampouris received in 2012 a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from the University of Thessaly, Greece and in 2016 an M.Sc. in Applied Genetics and Biotechnology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. During the bachelor’s thesis he analyzed polymorphisms in mitochondrial tRNA genes between normal individuals and patients with Alzheimer disease. During the master’s thesis he was involved in a multi-disciplinary team project which consisted of chemical engineers, food technologists and biotechnologists. The primary goal of the project was the reduction of biofouling in membrane bioreactors. He conducted his master’s thesis under the supervision of Prof. Petros Samaras and Prof. Minas Yiangou. The main theme of his master’s thesis work included the isolation of a novel strain, from urban wastewater sludge, with high degrading ability of N-acyl-homoserine lactones and the utilization of the isolated strain for the reduction of biofouling in a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor. Now, he is a Ph.D. student at the Technische Universität Dresden, and an Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. His work focuses on the effect of wastewater irrigation on the passage of ARB&ARG towards ground/surface waters.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Ioannis Kampouris (ESR3) work in ANSWER-ITN was related with the downstream environments of wastewater reuse. Specifically, he investigated the impact of wastewater irrigation on the profile of ARGs in soil, subsoil pore-water and groundwater. He had several scientific achievements through his project. In the beginning he started with a time-series sampling campaign in the topsoil of a wastewater irrigated field. He sampled during low and high intensity of irrigation in several seasons of irrigation. The sampling took more than one year and it allowed us to elucidate the dynamics of ARGs in the topsoil during irrigation. Out of a small subset of genes, he identified genes that are affected by irrigation and a few genes that probably are part of the native soil resistome (at least in the specific sampled area in Germany). ESR3 also observed of a plateau effect where the increase of relative abundance of ARGs stops at certain point of continuous irrigation. Another big part of his work has focused in the effect of wastewater irrigation in other downstream environments: subsoil pore-water and groundwater. While the results showed that the same genes increased from wastewater irrigation in the topsoil increased in subsoil pore-water and groundwater. However, there were peculiar dynamics of DNA yield in the subsoil pore-water and groundwater. The campaigns lasted around two years and they showed that when intensive irrigation occurs the absolute abundance of genes and DNA yield in the groundwater usually decreases. Therefore, soil rather wastewater seems to be the bigger contributor of microbial abundance in the groundwater. In contrast, the relative abundance of a few resistance genes to 16S rRNA, which is an indicator of abundance of total microbial community, increased. In addition, in the last part of his work he coupled the campaigns with mesocosms experiments to verify the campaigns’ results. He gained experience in several topics through ANSWER-ITN, mostly scientific ones. First of all, his language skills improved these three-years, since he is speaking daily English, which rarely happened to him in his native country. Second (and most important), he learned several novel biological methods and he improved my organisation skills. Apart from qPCR, he learned also several bioinformatics pipelines and to work with the programming language R. These 3 years he became more expert in the wastewater and soil/groundwater microbial ecology. In addition, ESR3 encountered several other young researchers from other European regions through the training events. They also originated from similar or completely different scientific fields and they had their own view on the subjects, which was very interesting. He really enjoyed the presentations, interactions and discussions and they were always meaningful to him, while in parallel led to change of his way of thinking and fruition of new ideas.
Supervisor: Prof. Thomas Berendonk
Host Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Ioannis Kampouris received in 2012 a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from the University of Thessaly, Greece and in 2016 an M.Sc. in Applied Genetics and Biotechnology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. During the bachelor’s thesis he analyzed polymorphisms in mitochondrial tRNA genes between normal individuals and patients with Alzheimer disease. During the master’s thesis he was involved in a multi-disciplinary team project which consisted of chemical engineers, food technologists and biotechnologists. The primary goal of the project was the reduction of biofouling in membrane bioreactors. He conducted his master’s thesis under the supervision of Prof. Petros Samaras and Prof. Minas Yiangou. The main theme of his master’s thesis work included the isolation of a novel strain, from urban wastewater sludge, with high degrading ability of N-acyl-homoserine lactones and the utilization of the isolated strain for the reduction of biofouling in a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor. Now, he is a Ph.D. student at the Technische Universität Dresden, and an Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. His work focuses on the effect of wastewater irrigation on the passage of ARB&ARG towards ground/surface waters.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Ioannis Kampouris (ESR3) work in ANSWER-ITN was related with the downstream environments of wastewater reuse. Specifically, he investigated the impact of wastewater irrigation on the profile of ARGs in soil, subsoil pore-water and groundwater. He had several scientific achievements through his project. In the beginning he started with a time-series sampling campaign in the topsoil of a wastewater irrigated field. He sampled during low and high intensity of irrigation in several seasons of irrigation. The sampling took more than one year and it allowed us to elucidate the dynamics of ARGs in the topsoil during irrigation. Out of a small subset of genes, he identified genes that are affected by irrigation and a few genes that probably are part of the native soil resistome (at least in the specific sampled area in Germany). ESR3 also observed of a plateau effect where the increase of relative abundance of ARGs stops at certain point of continuous irrigation. Another big part of his work has focused in the effect of wastewater irrigation in other downstream environments: subsoil pore-water and groundwater. While the results showed that the same genes increased from wastewater irrigation in the topsoil increased in subsoil pore-water and groundwater. However, there were peculiar dynamics of DNA yield in the subsoil pore-water and groundwater. The campaigns lasted around two years and they showed that when intensive irrigation occurs the absolute abundance of genes and DNA yield in the groundwater usually decreases. Therefore, soil rather wastewater seems to be the bigger contributor of microbial abundance in the groundwater. In contrast, the relative abundance of a few resistance genes to 16S rRNA, which is an indicator of abundance of total microbial community, increased. In addition, in the last part of his work he coupled the campaigns with mesocosms experiments to verify the campaigns’ results. He gained experience in several topics through ANSWER-ITN, mostly scientific ones. First of all, his language skills improved these three-years, since he is speaking daily English, which rarely happened to him in his native country. Second (and most important), he learned several novel biological methods and he improved my organisation skills. Apart from qPCR, he learned also several bioinformatics pipelines and to work with the programming language R. These 3 years he became more expert in the wastewater and soil/groundwater microbial ecology. In addition, ESR3 encountered several other young researchers from other European regions through the training events. They also originated from similar or completely different scientific fields and they had their own view on the subjects, which was very interesting. He really enjoyed the presentations, interactions and discussions and they were always meaningful to him, while in parallel led to change of his way of thinking and fruition of new ideas.
Aparna Chandrasekar
ESR4: Modelling the dissemination of ARB&ARG from irrigation to ground/surface water
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Prof. Thomas Berendonk
Host Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Aparna Chandrasekar received in 2013 a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the B.M.S. College of Engineering, in India, and in 2015 an M.Sc. in Process Engineering, from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands, with an excellence scholarship from the Process Technology Institute at TU Delft. As part of her master thesis, she worked on wastewater treatment using banana peels for the removal of fluoride from wastewater. She also took up various challenging internships in the field of process engineering and product development at reputed companies, like Indian Oil Corporation, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and Technip B.V. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) and an Early-Stage Researcher of the ANSWER project. Her work focuses on the study of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in surface and groundwater.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Aparna Chandrasekar (ESR4) main scientific achievements through this project are: (i) Learnt in-depth the problem of antibiotic resistance and the persistance of the same in various environmental matrices.(ii) Development and implementation of process based models: both bacterial transport and reactive processes, based on their presence in water environments.(iii) Set-up and commisiion small scale experiments, and collecting proper good quality data for model evaluation, and calibration. (iv) Development of sensitivity analysis procedures to understand the impact of water quality parameters on bacterial transport and survival, using validated models.
The experiences that ESR4 gained through this project are: (i) Team working with researchers from various disciplines and cultures. (ii) Learnt working procedures outside my lab environments through secondments and networking opportunities in international conferences. (iii) Acquired career and soft skills traning through training events and volunteering in XENOWAC 2 conference. (iv) Sharpened communication skills by presenting research results to persons both in the academic and non-academic environment.
Supervisor: Prof. Thomas Berendonk
Host Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Aparna Chandrasekar received in 2013 a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the B.M.S. College of Engineering, in India, and in 2015 an M.Sc. in Process Engineering, from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands, with an excellence scholarship from the Process Technology Institute at TU Delft. As part of her master thesis, she worked on wastewater treatment using banana peels for the removal of fluoride from wastewater. She also took up various challenging internships in the field of process engineering and product development at reputed companies, like Indian Oil Corporation, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and Technip B.V. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) and an Early-Stage Researcher of the ANSWER project. Her work focuses on the study of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in surface and groundwater.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Aparna Chandrasekar (ESR4) main scientific achievements through this project are: (i) Learnt in-depth the problem of antibiotic resistance and the persistance of the same in various environmental matrices.(ii) Development and implementation of process based models: both bacterial transport and reactive processes, based on their presence in water environments.(iii) Set-up and commisiion small scale experiments, and collecting proper good quality data for model evaluation, and calibration. (iv) Development of sensitivity analysis procedures to understand the impact of water quality parameters on bacterial transport and survival, using validated models.
The experiences that ESR4 gained through this project are: (i) Team working with researchers from various disciplines and cultures. (ii) Learnt working procedures outside my lab environments through secondments and networking opportunities in international conferences. (iii) Acquired career and soft skills traning through training events and volunteering in XENOWAC 2 conference. (iv) Sharpened communication skills by presenting research results to persons both in the academic and non-academic environment.
Gabriela Karina Paulus
ESR5: Dissemination and fate of wastewater-derived ARB&ARG in surface water as a storage means before reuse
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Prof. Gertjan Medema
Host Institution: KWR Watercycle Research Institute
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Gabriela Karina Paulus is a Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist. She received a B.Sc. degree in Biotechnology from the University of Hohenheim (2012), in Germany, and an M.Sc. in Drug Research from the University of Bonn (2016), in Germany. During her studies, Gabriela absolved various internships in many areas of interest, ranging from pharmaceutical and metabolic to biochemical topics. This internship included a research period at the pharmaceutical company Merck, investigating the effects of UV-radiation in combination with chemical compounds on microorganisms in industrial wastewater effluents, as well as an internship at the university clinic of Bonn, investigating the effects of cyclic nucleotides on white murine adipose tissue and a research stay at the Max-Planck-Institute of Aging in Cologne. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at KWR and an Early-Stage Researcher of the ANSWER project. Her work focuses on the dissemination and fate of wastewater-derived ARB&ARG in surface water as a storage means before reuse.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Gabriela Paulus (ESR5) published 3 scientific papers (two of which as first author) and participated in 4 international conferences (please see references below). Her main experience gained is how to conduct independent research.
- G. K. Paulus, L. M. Hornstra, N. Alygizakis, J. Slobodnik, N. Thomaidis, G. Medema, "The impact of on-site hospital wastewater treatment on the downstream communal wastewater system in terms of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes", International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.01.004. This publication won the Elsevier Atlas award.
- N. A. Alygizakis, H. Besselink, G. K. Paulus, P. Oswald, L. M. Hornstra, M. Oswaldova, G. Medema, N. S. Thomaidis, P. A. Behnisch, J. Slobodnik, "Characterization of wastewater effluents in the Danube River Basin with chemical screening, in vitro bioassays and antibiotic resistant genes analysis", Environment International, 2019, 127, 420-429.
- G.K. Paulus, L. Hornstra, G.J. Medema,"International Tempo-Spatial Study of Antibiotic Resistance Across the Rhine River Using Newly Developed Multiplex qPCR Assays", Journal: Science of the Total Environment, Acceptance date: November, 22nd, 2019
Supervisor: Prof. Gertjan Medema
Host Institution: KWR Watercycle Research Institute
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Gabriela Karina Paulus is a Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist. She received a B.Sc. degree in Biotechnology from the University of Hohenheim (2012), in Germany, and an M.Sc. in Drug Research from the University of Bonn (2016), in Germany. During her studies, Gabriela absolved various internships in many areas of interest, ranging from pharmaceutical and metabolic to biochemical topics. This internship included a research period at the pharmaceutical company Merck, investigating the effects of UV-radiation in combination with chemical compounds on microorganisms in industrial wastewater effluents, as well as an internship at the university clinic of Bonn, investigating the effects of cyclic nucleotides on white murine adipose tissue and a research stay at the Max-Planck-Institute of Aging in Cologne. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at KWR and an Early-Stage Researcher of the ANSWER project. Her work focuses on the dissemination and fate of wastewater-derived ARB&ARG in surface water as a storage means before reuse.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Gabriela Paulus (ESR5) published 3 scientific papers (two of which as first author) and participated in 4 international conferences (please see references below). Her main experience gained is how to conduct independent research.
- G. K. Paulus, L. M. Hornstra, N. Alygizakis, J. Slobodnik, N. Thomaidis, G. Medema, "The impact of on-site hospital wastewater treatment on the downstream communal wastewater system in terms of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes", International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.01.004. This publication won the Elsevier Atlas award.
- N. A. Alygizakis, H. Besselink, G. K. Paulus, P. Oswald, L. M. Hornstra, M. Oswaldova, G. Medema, N. S. Thomaidis, P. A. Behnisch, J. Slobodnik, "Characterization of wastewater effluents in the Danube River Basin with chemical screening, in vitro bioassays and antibiotic resistant genes analysis", Environment International, 2019, 127, 420-429.
- G.K. Paulus, L. Hornstra, G.J. Medema,"International Tempo-Spatial Study of Antibiotic Resistance Across the Rhine River Using Newly Developed Multiplex qPCR Assays", Journal: Science of the Total Environment, Acceptance date: November, 22nd, 2019
Francisco Diogo de Almeida Cerqueira
ESR6: Genetic analysis of endophytic bacteria in edible plants by high-throughput sequencing
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Benjamin Piña
Host Institution: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Francisco Diogo de Almeida Cerqueira received in 2012 a B.Sc. in Biology, from the University of Lisbon, Portugal and in 2015 an M.Sc. in Applied Microbiology from the same University. He completed an internship, during the first year of his master’s studies, at the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (Ce3C) in Portugal, regarding the characterization of rhizospheric bacteria and the assessment of their biocontrol capabilities. During his master’s thesis he examined the diazotrophic bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense, with the purpose of optimizing its inoculum performance, by assessing ways to increase its biofilm formation, increasing its potential use in biofertilizers. He also worked in the company SoilVitae, Lda, researching rhizospheric bacteria antifungal properties and interactions among those same bacteria. After his master’s thesis, he continued working at Ce3C, studying silicate solubilizing bacteria with the prospective of incorporate those bacteria in a biofertilizer. In May 2016, he joined the ANSWER project as a Ph.D. student at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). His research focuses on genetic analysis of endophytic bacteria in edible plants by high-throughput sequencing.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Francisco Diogo de Almeida Cerqueira (ESR6) defined microbiones and ARGs differences between the different compartments and the putative effect of the agricultural practices (i.e. crops (tomato, broad beans and lettuces) irrigated with treated wastewater and groundwater). He developed and optimized a protocol to prepare samples for DNA extraction. ARGs of clinical relevance, associated with MGEs were quantified by qPCR, as well the 16S rDNA to be able to study the microbiomes. In order to achieve it, optimization of the qPCR protocols for each of the studied genes was done. Bioinformatics’ skills were applied to process the High-throughput sequencing data, and perform microbiome analysis (statistics) and data visualization. The ANSWER project supported his career development and training, allowing him to work with cutting edge methods in molecular biology and bioinformatics, that will be very valuable for his career in the future, and prepare me for the job market. Also, his knowledge regarding antibiotics resistance and Microbial Ecology improved significantly. The international dimension of the ANSWER project gave him the possibility through the secondments to perform research in different countries (Germany, Netherlands and Cyprus) to do cooperation, and allowed me to enhance adaptability and cultural sensibility and broaden his horizons. Lastly, the four international conferences in which he participated allowed him to meet interesting people and see the current research of other scientists.
Supervisor: Dr. Benjamin Piña
Host Institution: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Francisco Diogo de Almeida Cerqueira received in 2012 a B.Sc. in Biology, from the University of Lisbon, Portugal and in 2015 an M.Sc. in Applied Microbiology from the same University. He completed an internship, during the first year of his master’s studies, at the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (Ce3C) in Portugal, regarding the characterization of rhizospheric bacteria and the assessment of their biocontrol capabilities. During his master’s thesis he examined the diazotrophic bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense, with the purpose of optimizing its inoculum performance, by assessing ways to increase its biofilm formation, increasing its potential use in biofertilizers. He also worked in the company SoilVitae, Lda, researching rhizospheric bacteria antifungal properties and interactions among those same bacteria. After his master’s thesis, he continued working at Ce3C, studying silicate solubilizing bacteria with the prospective of incorporate those bacteria in a biofertilizer. In May 2016, he joined the ANSWER project as a Ph.D. student at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). His research focuses on genetic analysis of endophytic bacteria in edible plants by high-throughput sequencing.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Francisco Diogo de Almeida Cerqueira (ESR6) defined microbiones and ARGs differences between the different compartments and the putative effect of the agricultural practices (i.e. crops (tomato, broad beans and lettuces) irrigated with treated wastewater and groundwater). He developed and optimized a protocol to prepare samples for DNA extraction. ARGs of clinical relevance, associated with MGEs were quantified by qPCR, as well the 16S rDNA to be able to study the microbiomes. In order to achieve it, optimization of the qPCR protocols for each of the studied genes was done. Bioinformatics’ skills were applied to process the High-throughput sequencing data, and perform microbiome analysis (statistics) and data visualization. The ANSWER project supported his career development and training, allowing him to work with cutting edge methods in molecular biology and bioinformatics, that will be very valuable for his career in the future, and prepare me for the job market. Also, his knowledge regarding antibiotics resistance and Microbial Ecology improved significantly. The international dimension of the ANSWER project gave him the possibility through the secondments to perform research in different countries (Germany, Netherlands and Cyprus) to do cooperation, and allowed me to enhance adaptability and cultural sensibility and broaden his horizons. Lastly, the four international conferences in which he participated allowed him to meet interesting people and see the current research of other scientists.
Nazareno Scaccia
ESR7: Evaluation of possible risks of AR transmission to humans by treated wastewater-irrigated crops
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Celia Manaia
Host Institution: Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Nazareno Scaccia received a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and an M.Sc. in Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Pavia (Italy). After the completion of his master’s thesis at the Department of Biotechnology of Lund University (Sweden), he continued in-depth studies of various organisms from rumen to produce platform chemicals and biofuels. Recently, he worked at the Laboratory of Microbiology at Wageningen University (The Netherlands) as a Research Assistant. His work focused on unravelling the rhamnose metabolism in Clostridium species and investigating the possibility to use green seaweed as feedstock in a biorefinery system. In March 2016, he joined the Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN ANSWER project as a Ph.D. student in the Research Centre CBQF of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal). His research focuses on the evaluation of possible risks of antibiotic resistance transmission to humans by treated wastewater-irrigated crops.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Nazareno Scaccia (ESR7) project focused on the evaluation of possible risks of antibiotic resistance transmission to humans by treated wastewater-irrigated crops. As main scientific achievements, we found that (i) wastewater bacteria may harbor ARGs and may have the potential to reach humans via wastewater-soil-plant and (ii) wastewater ARB (E. coli A2FCC14 and Enterococcus sp. H1EV10) are able to survive the complex intestinal microbiota and thus they can potentially be transmitted to humans. During the past three years, thanks to the Ph.D. program within the ANSWER-ITN project, he participated in several training courses and international conferences thanks to which he had the chance to learn always something new and expand my knowledge in the field of antibiotic resistance and wastewater treatment. Also, during the secondments within other research institutions, he had the opportunity to build up a multidisciplinary network and construct skills in other scientific topics beyond academia.
Supervisor: Dr. Celia Manaia
Host Institution: Universidade Catolica Portuguesa
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Nazareno Scaccia received a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and an M.Sc. in Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Pavia (Italy). After the completion of his master’s thesis at the Department of Biotechnology of Lund University (Sweden), he continued in-depth studies of various organisms from rumen to produce platform chemicals and biofuels. Recently, he worked at the Laboratory of Microbiology at Wageningen University (The Netherlands) as a Research Assistant. His work focused on unravelling the rhamnose metabolism in Clostridium species and investigating the possibility to use green seaweed as feedstock in a biorefinery system. In March 2016, he joined the Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN ANSWER project as a Ph.D. student in the Research Centre CBQF of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal). His research focuses on the evaluation of possible risks of antibiotic resistance transmission to humans by treated wastewater-irrigated crops.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Nazareno Scaccia (ESR7) project focused on the evaluation of possible risks of antibiotic resistance transmission to humans by treated wastewater-irrigated crops. As main scientific achievements, we found that (i) wastewater bacteria may harbor ARGs and may have the potential to reach humans via wastewater-soil-plant and (ii) wastewater ARB (E. coli A2FCC14 and Enterococcus sp. H1EV10) are able to survive the complex intestinal microbiota and thus they can potentially be transmitted to humans. During the past three years, thanks to the Ph.D. program within the ANSWER-ITN project, he participated in several training courses and international conferences thanks to which he had the chance to learn always something new and expand my knowledge in the field of antibiotic resistance and wastewater treatment. Also, during the secondments within other research institutions, he had the opportunity to build up a multidisciplinary network and construct skills in other scientific topics beyond academia.
Đorđe Tadić
ESR8: Uptake of antibiotics and antibacterial contaminants in crops
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Josep Maria Bayona
Host Institution: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Đorđe Tadić received in 2012 an M.Sc. in Food Engineering from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia (Faculty of Technology Novi Sad). The research part of his master thesis was performed at the Department of Biotechnology, Microbiology and Food Safety of the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana, Slovenia; where the antimicrobial activity of phenolic extracts capsulated in β-cyclodekstrine and liposome was studied. After his master graduation, he worked in a sugar factory, where he was in charge for controlling technological parameters of sugar production and product quality. From October 2014, he has been working at the “Center of Excellence in Food Safety and Emerging Risks, Laboratory for Chemical Contaminants and Mass Spectrometry” at the Faculty of Technology, Novi Sad. He worked on the development and validation of methods for the analysis of different groups of organic pollutants. Analysis of persistent organic pollutants was performed employing UPLC-MS, GC-MS and GS-µECD in water, soil and food samples. Currently he is employed as an Early-Stage Researcher of the ANSWER project at the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC) and he is a Ph.D. student at the Technical University of Catalonia - Barcelona School of Biosystems and Agri-Food Engineering. His research focuses on the uptake of antibiotics and antibacterial contaminants in crops.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: The very first achieved objective of Đorđe Tadić (ESR8) was to develop and validate a quantitative, sensitive, reliable, and practical methodology for the simultaneous determination of 10 antibiotics belonging to four chemical classes (i.e. fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, lincosamides, and metoxybenzylpyrimidines) and 6 of their metabolites in four different vegetables matrices (lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans). During 2016 and 2017 several sampling campaigns were performed, during summer and winter farming periods. Four aforementioned types of vegetables and soil samples were harvested from the farms located in the peri-urban area of Barcelona, Spain. The samples were screened for the presence of antibiotics and their metabolites applying developed analytical method (target screening). Additionally, vegetable samples were screened for 2098 suspected emerging substances, that can be found in Suspect list “S1 MASSBANK”, using “NORMAN digital sample freezing platform”. In order to identify antibiotic metabolites, HR-MS MSn methodologies was applied. Consequently, the data obtained using last generation Orbitrap instrument – Fusion provided enough information for tentative identification of several metabolites for three antibiotics (i.e. trimethoprim, ofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole) detected in lettuce seedlings grown in controlled conditions. The structure elucidation of metabolites based on direct substructure identification was a major accomplishment, and a substantial improvement over the traditional indirect structure identification methods of compounds not present in spectral libraries. The main experience gained through the ANSWER project was mastered target and non-target analysis in liquid chromatography and data interpretation. He also improved soft skills, such as presentation of results to both scientific and non-scientific audience. Finally he got familiar with mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and circumstances in which this phenomenon occurs.
Supervisor: Dr. Josep Maria Bayona
Host Institution: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP5
About me: Đorđe Tadić received in 2012 an M.Sc. in Food Engineering from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia (Faculty of Technology Novi Sad). The research part of his master thesis was performed at the Department of Biotechnology, Microbiology and Food Safety of the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana, Slovenia; where the antimicrobial activity of phenolic extracts capsulated in β-cyclodekstrine and liposome was studied. After his master graduation, he worked in a sugar factory, where he was in charge for controlling technological parameters of sugar production and product quality. From October 2014, he has been working at the “Center of Excellence in Food Safety and Emerging Risks, Laboratory for Chemical Contaminants and Mass Spectrometry” at the Faculty of Technology, Novi Sad. He worked on the development and validation of methods for the analysis of different groups of organic pollutants. Analysis of persistent organic pollutants was performed employing UPLC-MS, GC-MS and GS-µECD in water, soil and food samples. Currently he is employed as an Early-Stage Researcher of the ANSWER project at the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC) and he is a Ph.D. student at the Technical University of Catalonia - Barcelona School of Biosystems and Agri-Food Engineering. His research focuses on the uptake of antibiotics and antibacterial contaminants in crops.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: The very first achieved objective of Đorđe Tadić (ESR8) was to develop and validate a quantitative, sensitive, reliable, and practical methodology for the simultaneous determination of 10 antibiotics belonging to four chemical classes (i.e. fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, lincosamides, and metoxybenzylpyrimidines) and 6 of their metabolites in four different vegetables matrices (lettuce, tomato, cauliflower, and broad beans). During 2016 and 2017 several sampling campaigns were performed, during summer and winter farming periods. Four aforementioned types of vegetables and soil samples were harvested from the farms located in the peri-urban area of Barcelona, Spain. The samples were screened for the presence of antibiotics and their metabolites applying developed analytical method (target screening). Additionally, vegetable samples were screened for 2098 suspected emerging substances, that can be found in Suspect list “S1 MASSBANK”, using “NORMAN digital sample freezing platform”. In order to identify antibiotic metabolites, HR-MS MSn methodologies was applied. Consequently, the data obtained using last generation Orbitrap instrument – Fusion provided enough information for tentative identification of several metabolites for three antibiotics (i.e. trimethoprim, ofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole) detected in lettuce seedlings grown in controlled conditions. The structure elucidation of metabolites based on direct substructure identification was a major accomplishment, and a substantial improvement over the traditional indirect structure identification methods of compounds not present in spectral libraries. The main experience gained through the ANSWER project was mastered target and non-target analysis in liquid chromatography and data interpretation. He also improved soft skills, such as presentation of results to both scientific and non-scientific audience. Finally he got familiar with mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and circumstances in which this phenomenon occurs.
Elena Radu
ESR9: Modelling horizontal resistance gene transfer by free DNA in activated sludge treatment plants and soil
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Norbert Kreuzinger
Host Institution: Technische Universität Wien
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Radu L. Elena is a Biologist. She received a B.Sc. degree in Biology (2013) and a M.Sc. degree in Medical Biology from the Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Romania (2015). During the master’s thesis, she was working as Scientific Researcher Fellow and she was involved in a multi-disciplinary team project which consisted of Chemical Engineers, Physicists and Electrical Engineers. The main objective of her master thesis was the influence of the electromagnetic field on metabolism and microbial growth, having several applications in environmental protection and in medical field. Her research interest has been focused on the biodegradability, bioremediation, biocorrosion, with emphasis on molecular and cellular biology of the microorganisms. She was also working as Scientific Researcher at the Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania, in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, as molecular biologist. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student at the Technische Universität Wien (TU-Wien) and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. Her research will focus on the modelling horizontal resistance gene transfer by free DNA in activated sludge treatment plants and soil.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Elena Radu (ESR9) is extremely proud to be a MSCA Fellow in the framework of the ANSWER project and to be part of a great team of excellent experts and awesome colleagues. Being a Marie-Curie fellow, she had the opportunity to gain so much knowledge and inspiration and to work in a fruitful environment, in one of the best cities in Europe, Vienna. Within the ANSWER project, she worked on a topic which is of great relevance nowadays, the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in natural environments such as agricultural soils, surface water and groundwater. Furthermore, it enabled her to gain expertise on risk assessment and probabilistic modelling on extracellular free DNA. The main outcome was to provide a mathematical model to describe the horizontal gene transfer of free DNA in the environment. Thanks to the MSCA fellowship, she had the chance to meet other scientists, to exchange ideas and establish international cooperation. The international and multidisciplinary team of her project allows future opportunities and it encourages her to keep doing what she love. It has been an exciting journey and an amazing experience, definitely important for her professional career.
Supervisor: Dr. Norbert Kreuzinger
Host Institution: Technische Universität Wien
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Radu L. Elena is a Biologist. She received a B.Sc. degree in Biology (2013) and a M.Sc. degree in Medical Biology from the Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Romania (2015). During the master’s thesis, she was working as Scientific Researcher Fellow and she was involved in a multi-disciplinary team project which consisted of Chemical Engineers, Physicists and Electrical Engineers. The main objective of her master thesis was the influence of the electromagnetic field on metabolism and microbial growth, having several applications in environmental protection and in medical field. Her research interest has been focused on the biodegradability, bioremediation, biocorrosion, with emphasis on molecular and cellular biology of the microorganisms. She was also working as Scientific Researcher at the Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania, in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, as molecular biologist. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student at the Technische Universität Wien (TU-Wien) and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. Her research will focus on the modelling horizontal resistance gene transfer by free DNA in activated sludge treatment plants and soil.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Elena Radu (ESR9) is extremely proud to be a MSCA Fellow in the framework of the ANSWER project and to be part of a great team of excellent experts and awesome colleagues. Being a Marie-Curie fellow, she had the opportunity to gain so much knowledge and inspiration and to work in a fruitful environment, in one of the best cities in Europe, Vienna. Within the ANSWER project, she worked on a topic which is of great relevance nowadays, the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in natural environments such as agricultural soils, surface water and groundwater. Furthermore, it enabled her to gain expertise on risk assessment and probabilistic modelling on extracellular free DNA. The main outcome was to provide a mathematical model to describe the horizontal gene transfer of free DNA in the environment. Thanks to the MSCA fellowship, she had the chance to meet other scientists, to exchange ideas and establish international cooperation. The international and multidisciplinary team of her project allows future opportunities and it encourages her to keep doing what she love. It has been an exciting journey and an amazing experience, definitely important for her professional career.
Katarzyna Ślipko
ESR10: Management options for conventional and advanced wastewater treatment technologies and plant operation conditions to improve the efficiency of AR removal
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Norbert Kreuzinger
Host Institution: Technische Universität Wien
Related Working Packages: WP4 , WP5
About me: Katarzyna Ślipko is a Biotechnology Engineer with a B.Sc. from the Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology in Poland (2015). She obtained her M.Sc. in May of 2016 with specialization in “Biotechnology in Environmental Protection” from the same university. She conducted her master thesis under the supervision of Dr. Aleksandra Ziembinska - Buczynska. It focused on the use of PCR - DGGE methods for analysis of genotypic structure of bacterial community in vertical flow constructed wetlands. Her research interests are in the field of biodiversity of microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants, analysis of wastewater treatment processes including bacterial removal of particular contaminants and providing solutions to problems connected with the environmental pollution with pharmaceuticals. Now, she is a Ph.D. student at the Technische Universitaet Wien (TU-Wien), and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. Her research will focus on the management options for conventional and advanced wastewater treatment technologies and plant operation conditions to improve the efficiency of antibiotic resistance removal.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Katarzyna Ślipko (ESR10) focused on removal of AR, as well as ARGs (also in free DNA form) by chosen wastewater treatment technologies. She has developed novel methods for detection and quantification of extracellular free DNA in real wastewater samples, and evaluated technologies that could be applied for the removal of ARGs in free DNA form (i.e. activated carbon adsorption and membrane filtration). To meet the current needs for the investigations of advanced wastewater treatment in a pilot-scale, she has evaluated a multi-barrier advanced treatment plant combining ozonation and granular activated carbon adsorption, operated continuously for one year, for the removal of micropollutants, total bacteria, ARB&ARGs. Such works are scarce; however, they are crucial for implementation of advanced treatment in a full-scale. She also highlights that as main scientific achievements, she could include publishing a paper in a high Impact Factor journal, participation in scientific conferences, Training Events and secondments, successful scientific cooperation with other ESRs or designing and performing experiments. She could have mastered methods she has already known from her studies (culture-based methods, DNA extraction, PCR, electrophoresis) and learn new methods like qPCR and sequencing. However, for her, personally, ANSWER project brought much more than scientific experience and knowledge. She has learnt how to manage the project, organize her work, create schedules, plan short and long-term travels, work in a multicultural environment, look for help, and to find motivation in even the smallest success. The experience she gained, and the project itself, completely exceeded her expectations and she is very grateful that she could be a part of it.
Supervisor: Dr. Norbert Kreuzinger
Host Institution: Technische Universität Wien
Related Working Packages: WP4 , WP5
About me: Katarzyna Ślipko is a Biotechnology Engineer with a B.Sc. from the Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology in Poland (2015). She obtained her M.Sc. in May of 2016 with specialization in “Biotechnology in Environmental Protection” from the same university. She conducted her master thesis under the supervision of Dr. Aleksandra Ziembinska - Buczynska. It focused on the use of PCR - DGGE methods for analysis of genotypic structure of bacterial community in vertical flow constructed wetlands. Her research interests are in the field of biodiversity of microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants, analysis of wastewater treatment processes including bacterial removal of particular contaminants and providing solutions to problems connected with the environmental pollution with pharmaceuticals. Now, she is a Ph.D. student at the Technische Universitaet Wien (TU-Wien), and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project. Her research will focus on the management options for conventional and advanced wastewater treatment technologies and plant operation conditions to improve the efficiency of antibiotic resistance removal.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Katarzyna Ślipko (ESR10) focused on removal of AR, as well as ARGs (also in free DNA form) by chosen wastewater treatment technologies. She has developed novel methods for detection and quantification of extracellular free DNA in real wastewater samples, and evaluated technologies that could be applied for the removal of ARGs in free DNA form (i.e. activated carbon adsorption and membrane filtration). To meet the current needs for the investigations of advanced wastewater treatment in a pilot-scale, she has evaluated a multi-barrier advanced treatment plant combining ozonation and granular activated carbon adsorption, operated continuously for one year, for the removal of micropollutants, total bacteria, ARB&ARGs. Such works are scarce; however, they are crucial for implementation of advanced treatment in a full-scale. She also highlights that as main scientific achievements, she could include publishing a paper in a high Impact Factor journal, participation in scientific conferences, Training Events and secondments, successful scientific cooperation with other ESRs or designing and performing experiments. She could have mastered methods she has already known from her studies (culture-based methods, DNA extraction, PCR, electrophoresis) and learn new methods like qPCR and sequencing. However, for her, personally, ANSWER project brought much more than scientific experience and knowledge. She has learnt how to manage the project, organize her work, create schedules, plan short and long-term travels, work in a multicultural environment, look for help, and to find motivation in even the smallest success. The experience she gained, and the project itself, completely exceeded her expectations and she is very grateful that she could be a part of it.
Iakovos C. Iakovides
ESR11: Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) followed by light-driven oxidation for the minimization of A&ARB&ARG from urban WW intended for reuse
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Despo Fatta-Kassinos
Host Institution: University of Cyprus
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP3 , WP4 , WP5
About me:Iakovos C. Iakovides is a Chemical Engineer with a B.Sc. from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras (2012). He obtained his M.Sc. in October, 2015 in ‘Energy and Environment’ from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras with a grade 9.05 out of 10. His M.Sc. thesis focused on the use of physicochemical methods for the treatment of agricultural and industrial by-products that was carried out at the Laboratory of Transport Phenomena and Physicochemical Hydrodynamics (TPPH) of the University of Patras. During his postgraduate studies, he got involved in several scientific projects funded by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development in Greece and Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT). His research interests lie in the field of investigation, analysis and optimisation of wastewater treatment processes for the efficient removal of pollutants, and the recovery of resources in the form of nutrients and energy, that could help provide environmental solutions to pressing environmental issues. Currently he is a full-time Ph.D. candidate and a Marie Curie “ANSWER” Early Stage Researcher. His research focuses on the removal of contaminants of emerging concern from urban wastewater through the use of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) followed by light-driven oxidation.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Iakovos Iakovides (ESR11) worked on the determination of the removal efficiency of the selected antibiotics, A&ARB&ARGs from the different applied treatments (i.e. CAS and MBR technologies) and on the evaluation of the efficiency of advanced oxidation process, such as ozonation operated at both batch and continuous mode, with respect (i) to the removal of a mixture of eight antibiotics belonging to different classes and exhibiting different physicochemical properties, (ii) the inactivation of wastewater autochthonous total and ARB and to further evaluate their regrowth potential after treatment, (iii) the reduction of the abundance of selected ARGs originally present in wastewater, (iv) the extent of mineralization of the treated wastewater; and (v) the evolution of phytotoxicity and ecotoxicity against selected species and organisms. I also assess the uptake potential of A&ARB&ARGs from cucumber plants that were irrigated with treated effluents from CAS- and MBR-treated effluents from two UWTPs in field-scale experiments. Through the ANSWER project he expands his skills and knowledge to field of chemistry and microbiology through the attendance to several training courses. He gained experience in adapting to the working environment in the various laboratories that he visited during his secondments and manage to expand his team working skills. Also he developed his skills in chemical and microbiological analysis working side by side with experts on those fields, during his secondments in the laboratories of the ANSWER-ITN partners and expand his network of professionals working in the field of wastewater treatment and management.
Supervisor: Dr. Despo Fatta-Kassinos
Host Institution: University of Cyprus
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP3 , WP4 , WP5
About me:Iakovos C. Iakovides is a Chemical Engineer with a B.Sc. from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras (2012). He obtained his M.Sc. in October, 2015 in ‘Energy and Environment’ from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras with a grade 9.05 out of 10. His M.Sc. thesis focused on the use of physicochemical methods for the treatment of agricultural and industrial by-products that was carried out at the Laboratory of Transport Phenomena and Physicochemical Hydrodynamics (TPPH) of the University of Patras. During his postgraduate studies, he got involved in several scientific projects funded by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development in Greece and Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT). His research interests lie in the field of investigation, analysis and optimisation of wastewater treatment processes for the efficient removal of pollutants, and the recovery of resources in the form of nutrients and energy, that could help provide environmental solutions to pressing environmental issues. Currently he is a full-time Ph.D. candidate and a Marie Curie “ANSWER” Early Stage Researcher. His research focuses on the removal of contaminants of emerging concern from urban wastewater through the use of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) followed by light-driven oxidation.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: Iakovos Iakovides (ESR11) worked on the determination of the removal efficiency of the selected antibiotics, A&ARB&ARGs from the different applied treatments (i.e. CAS and MBR technologies) and on the evaluation of the efficiency of advanced oxidation process, such as ozonation operated at both batch and continuous mode, with respect (i) to the removal of a mixture of eight antibiotics belonging to different classes and exhibiting different physicochemical properties, (ii) the inactivation of wastewater autochthonous total and ARB and to further evaluate their regrowth potential after treatment, (iii) the reduction of the abundance of selected ARGs originally present in wastewater, (iv) the extent of mineralization of the treated wastewater; and (v) the evolution of phytotoxicity and ecotoxicity against selected species and organisms. I also assess the uptake potential of A&ARB&ARGs from cucumber plants that were irrigated with treated effluents from CAS- and MBR-treated effluents from two UWTPs in field-scale experiments. Through the ANSWER project he expands his skills and knowledge to field of chemistry and microbiology through the attendance to several training courses. He gained experience in adapting to the working environment in the various laboratories that he visited during his secondments and manage to expand his team working skills. Also he developed his skills in chemical and microbiological analysis working side by side with experts on those fields, during his secondments in the laboratories of the ANSWER-ITN partners and expand his network of professionals working in the field of wastewater treatment and management.
Ian Zammit
ESR12: Development of a new photocatalytic reactor for wastewater disinfection and subsequent application in crops irrigation: effect on AR transfer and ARB&ARG accumulation in crops
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Luigi Rizzo
Host Institution: Universita Degli Studi di Salerno
Related Working Packages:WP3 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Ian Zammit received in 2012 a joint honors B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Malta. After working on his undergraduate research project in green synthetic chemistry with a pharmaceutical company (Amino Chemicals), he joined the company as a Production Assistant (2012-2013). He also received in 2015 an M.Sc. in Environmental Science from Stockholm University (SU), supported by a scholarship scheme by the Government of Malta. During his master research work he worked on hydroxyl radical degradation kinetics in the gaseous phase monitored by on-line mass spectrometry. After finalizing his master thesis, he was employed by the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry of SU as a research and teaching assistant (2015-2016). Currently, he is an Early Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project hosted by the University of Salerno. His research focuses on the development of a new photocatalytic reactor for wastewater disinfection and subsequent application in crops irrigation.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: In the framework of the ANSWER project Ian Zammit (ESR12) was able to develop a new optimized cerium doped ZnO catalyst with higher efficiency and low cost synthesis, as well as a low cost and facile coating method for this catalyst. The coated catalyst showed good reusability against antibiotics and activity against bacteria in model water and autochthonous bacteria in secondary wastewater. According to his research results it was found that mitigation of AR spread by photocatalysis compared to a conventional treatment (chlorination) was not justify the higher costs of operation of heterogeneous photocatalysis over chlorination. The former treatment is not considered as a feasible in the immediate term. Regarding ESR12 personal/career achievements, he gained internationalization, since throughout the project he worked at three universities, one research institute and one private company in three different countries. He gained plenty of expertise working in such a multidisciplinary project.
Supervisor: Dr. Luigi Rizzo
Host Institution: Universita Degli Studi di Salerno
Related Working Packages:WP3 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Ian Zammit received in 2012 a joint honors B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Malta. After working on his undergraduate research project in green synthetic chemistry with a pharmaceutical company (Amino Chemicals), he joined the company as a Production Assistant (2012-2013). He also received in 2015 an M.Sc. in Environmental Science from Stockholm University (SU), supported by a scholarship scheme by the Government of Malta. During his master research work he worked on hydroxyl radical degradation kinetics in the gaseous phase monitored by on-line mass spectrometry. After finalizing his master thesis, he was employed by the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry of SU as a research and teaching assistant (2015-2016). Currently, he is an Early Stage Researcher at the ANSWER project hosted by the University of Salerno. His research focuses on the development of a new photocatalytic reactor for wastewater disinfection and subsequent application in crops irrigation.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: In the framework of the ANSWER project Ian Zammit (ESR12) was able to develop a new optimized cerium doped ZnO catalyst with higher efficiency and low cost synthesis, as well as a low cost and facile coating method for this catalyst. The coated catalyst showed good reusability against antibiotics and activity against bacteria in model water and autochthonous bacteria in secondary wastewater. According to his research results it was found that mitigation of AR spread by photocatalysis compared to a conventional treatment (chlorination) was not justify the higher costs of operation of heterogeneous photocatalysis over chlorination. The former treatment is not considered as a feasible in the immediate term. Regarding ESR12 personal/career achievements, he gained internationalization, since throughout the project he worked at three universities, one research institute and one private company in three different countries. He gained plenty of expertise working in such a multidisciplinary project.
Francesco Biancullo
ESR13: Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)-driven photocatalytic membrane treatment of ARB&ARG and market/benchmark assessment
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Mr. Sergio C. Silva
Host Institution: Adventech – Advanced Environmental Technologies, Lda
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP3 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Francesco Biancullo received a B.Sc. (2012) in Civil and Environment Engineering and an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering (2015) from the Università degli Studi di Salerno (UNISA), Italy. His main field of interest is related with advanced oxidation processes technologies and their application on wastewater treatment and reuse. His M.Sc. thesis title is: “Inactivation of antibiotic-resistant E. coli by UV/Vis radiations and photocatalysis processes”. Part of the thesis work was developed at NIBEC (Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre, University of Ulster, United Kingdom) complemented at the Department of Civil Engineering and Department of Industrial Engineering (UNISA). During the thesis period he has learned methodologies for the detection of antibiotic resistance and the procedure of synthesis and immobilization of doped photocatalysts on macroscopic supports and their characterization. After his M.Sc. degree he has continued to work on the multidisciplinary theme of antibiotic resistance, carrying out additional photocatalytic disinfection experiments. Now, he is employed as an Early-Stage Researcher at Adventech Lda (Portugal) and he is a Ph.D. student at Chemical and Biological Engineering course at FEUP (Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal). His research focuses on the Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)-driven photocatalytic membrane treatment of ARB&ARG and market/benchmark assessment.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: In the framework of the ANSWER project Francesco Biancullo (ESR13) developed a photocatalytic membrane reactor which was demonstrated to be a promising technology to produce a safe effluent from urban wastewater. ANSWER project and his PhD were a challenge with plenty of rewards. Also thanks to the learning opportunities and experience gained from this project he is now working as a process engineer in a leading company specialised in environmental pollution control and prevention.
Supervisor: Mr. Sergio C. Silva
Host Institution: Adventech – Advanced Environmental Technologies, Lda
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP3 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Francesco Biancullo received a B.Sc. (2012) in Civil and Environment Engineering and an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering (2015) from the Università degli Studi di Salerno (UNISA), Italy. His main field of interest is related with advanced oxidation processes technologies and their application on wastewater treatment and reuse. His M.Sc. thesis title is: “Inactivation of antibiotic-resistant E. coli by UV/Vis radiations and photocatalysis processes”. Part of the thesis work was developed at NIBEC (Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre, University of Ulster, United Kingdom) complemented at the Department of Civil Engineering and Department of Industrial Engineering (UNISA). During the thesis period he has learned methodologies for the detection of antibiotic resistance and the procedure of synthesis and immobilization of doped photocatalysts on macroscopic supports and their characterization. After his M.Sc. degree he has continued to work on the multidisciplinary theme of antibiotic resistance, carrying out additional photocatalytic disinfection experiments. Now, he is employed as an Early-Stage Researcher at Adventech Lda (Portugal) and he is a Ph.D. student at Chemical and Biological Engineering course at FEUP (Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal). His research focuses on the Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)-driven photocatalytic membrane treatment of ARB&ARG and market/benchmark assessment.
Main scientific achievements and experience gained through the ANSWER project: In the framework of the ANSWER project Francesco Biancullo (ESR13) developed a photocatalytic membrane reactor which was demonstrated to be a promising technology to produce a safe effluent from urban wastewater. ANSWER project and his PhD were a challenge with plenty of rewards. Also thanks to the learning opportunities and experience gained from this project he is now working as a process engineer in a leading company specialised in environmental pollution control and prevention.
Vasiliki Beretsou
ESR14: Investigating the potential of transformation products (TPs) of antibiotics formed during advanced wastewater treatment to induce biological adverse effects and AR
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Despo Fatta-Kassinos
Host Institution: University of Cyprus
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP5
About me:Vasiliki Beretsou is a Chemist with a B.Sc. degree from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Athens (Greece) (2013). During her B.Sc. studies, she had a four-month internship at the Pesticide Residues Laboratory of General Chemical State Laboratory (Greece). She received her M.Sc. in October of 2015 with specialization in “Analytical Chemistry” from the same university and she conducted her master thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nikolaos Thomaidis. Her research interests are focused on the occurrence and fate of contaminants of emerging concern in engineered and natural environments, with emphasis on the identification of transformation products of pharmaceuticals by applying state-of-the-art analytical techniques (LC-QTOFMS), and suspect and non-target screening approaches. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cyprus and an Early Stage Researcher of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN “ANSWER”. Her research focuses on the investigation of the potential of transformation products of antibiotics formed during advanced wastewater treatment to induce biological adverse effects and antibiotic resistance.
Main scientific achievements through my project: The fate and transformation of selected antibiotics (i.e. azithromycin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) during UV-C and UV-C/H2O2 oxidation in ultrapure and secondary-treated wastewater effluents, as well as, the identification of their transformation products (TPs) by applying suspect and non-target strategies based on liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) was investigated. The complementary use of Reverse Phase Liquid Chromatography (RPLC) and Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC) for the identification of polar TPs was also examined. Moreover, four of the effect-based reporter-gene CALUX® bioassays were applied to assess multiple toxicological endpoints, i.e. the potential genotoxicity, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity of the UV-C and UV-C/H2O2 treated samples. More specifically, the tested bioassays were p53, p53 (+hepatic S9 as exogenous metabolic system), Nrf2 and Cytotox CALUX®. The most relevant commercially available TPs were purchased in order to assess their biological potency through the application of the beforementioned bioassays as well as their antimicrobial activity. For the first time reported, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) i.e. the lowest concentration of the target antibiotics and their commercially available TPs that inhibit the growth of selected strains of environmentally- and clinically-relevant bacteria was determined.
Main experience gained through my project: The intersectoral and multinational mobility throughout the project has increased Vasilikis Beretsou (ESR14) flexibility and adaptability in different working environments (both in research and industrial environments). Through networking and collaboration, ESR14 has expanded her knowledge in other scientific fields. ANSWER has promoted not only her research skills but also her complementary and transferable skills such as the preparation of research proposals, her project management skills and the development of strong written and oral communication skills. She believes that the MSCA fellowship can be considered a valuable asset both in the case you want to pursue a position within or outside academia. All these would have never been possible via a more traditional PhD pathway!
Supervisor: Dr. Despo Fatta-Kassinos
Host Institution: University of Cyprus
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP5
About me:Vasiliki Beretsou is a Chemist with a B.Sc. degree from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Athens (Greece) (2013). During her B.Sc. studies, she had a four-month internship at the Pesticide Residues Laboratory of General Chemical State Laboratory (Greece). She received her M.Sc. in October of 2015 with specialization in “Analytical Chemistry” from the same university and she conducted her master thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nikolaos Thomaidis. Her research interests are focused on the occurrence and fate of contaminants of emerging concern in engineered and natural environments, with emphasis on the identification of transformation products of pharmaceuticals by applying state-of-the-art analytical techniques (LC-QTOFMS), and suspect and non-target screening approaches. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cyprus and an Early Stage Researcher of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN “ANSWER”. Her research focuses on the investigation of the potential of transformation products of antibiotics formed during advanced wastewater treatment to induce biological adverse effects and antibiotic resistance.
Main scientific achievements through my project: The fate and transformation of selected antibiotics (i.e. azithromycin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) during UV-C and UV-C/H2O2 oxidation in ultrapure and secondary-treated wastewater effluents, as well as, the identification of their transformation products (TPs) by applying suspect and non-target strategies based on liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) was investigated. The complementary use of Reverse Phase Liquid Chromatography (RPLC) and Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC) for the identification of polar TPs was also examined. Moreover, four of the effect-based reporter-gene CALUX® bioassays were applied to assess multiple toxicological endpoints, i.e. the potential genotoxicity, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity of the UV-C and UV-C/H2O2 treated samples. More specifically, the tested bioassays were p53, p53 (+hepatic S9 as exogenous metabolic system), Nrf2 and Cytotox CALUX®. The most relevant commercially available TPs were purchased in order to assess their biological potency through the application of the beforementioned bioassays as well as their antimicrobial activity. For the first time reported, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) i.e. the lowest concentration of the target antibiotics and their commercially available TPs that inhibit the growth of selected strains of environmentally- and clinically-relevant bacteria was determined.
Main experience gained through my project: The intersectoral and multinational mobility throughout the project has increased Vasilikis Beretsou (ESR14) flexibility and adaptability in different working environments (both in research and industrial environments). Through networking and collaboration, ESR14 has expanded her knowledge in other scientific fields. ANSWER has promoted not only her research skills but also her complementary and transferable skills such as the preparation of research proposals, her project management skills and the development of strong written and oral communication skills. She believes that the MSCA fellowship can be considered a valuable asset both in the case you want to pursue a position within or outside academia. All these would have never been possible via a more traditional PhD pathway!
Nikiforos Alygizakis
ESR15: Advanced methods for identification and risk assessment of present and future antibiotics and their TPs in wastewater
Position: Marie Curie Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Jaroslav Slobodink
Host Institution: Environmental Institute s.r.o
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Nikiforos Alygizakis holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry and a M.Sc. in Chemical Analysis and Quality Control awarded by the University of Athens. His B.Sc. was funded by Athens University Legacy Foundation (Antonios Papadakis Legacy) and his M.Sc. by John S. Latsis Foundation. During his studies, he developed both analytical and programming skills. He is experienced in many sample preparation and instrumental techniques as well as programming, mainly using R language. He was trained on testing the quality of medicines during his four-month internship at the National Organization for Medicines of Greece. Moreover, he joined Prof. Thomaidis’ research team at the University of Athens, where he worked on sewage epidemiology field. He participated in many collaborative trials (COST action ES1307) and employed LC-QqQ to determine drugs of abuse and pharmaceuticals including many of their transformation products in different matrices. During his master thesis, he conducted research using state-of-the-art analytical equipment (LC-QTOF) and cutting-edge data processing tools to detect compounds with high fluctuation among replicated time-series wastewater samples and identify them using non-target strategies. His research interests are focused on treatment of LC-HRMS data, prioritization methodologies and non-target screening. Currently he is a Ph.D. Candidate to University of Athens and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER Project, and his work is based on the development of advanced methods for the identification and risk assessment of antibiotics and their transformation products in wastewater.
Main scientific achievements: (i) Development of the first environmental digital archive that enables wide-scope suspect screening emerging substances, enhanced data mining and visualization capabilities. (ii) Application of wide-scope target chemical screening and other novel bioanalytical methods such as bioassays and antibiotic resistance gene analysis in wastewater collected from Danube river basin. (iii) Proposal of a putative action plan for wastewater treatment plant operators based on the in vitro bioassays results. (iv) Detection of chemical and biological hazards related to wastewater reuse using novel passive sampler prototype and advanced analytical chemical tools.
Experience gained: (i) Valuable experience on advanced analytical instrumentation, data processing tools and soft skills through a unique combination of training events, workshops and conferences. (ii) Truly international and multidisciplinary cooperation that enabled the application of a wide panel of analytical tools to characterize the threats related to wastewater reuse. (iii) Interaction with public, non-experts and end users through a multitude of dissemination activities. (iv) Secondments in the laboratories of partners and beneficiaries gave me the opportunity to exchange ideas and obtain a wider ecological viewpoint.
Supervisor: Dr. Jaroslav Slobodink
Host Institution: Environmental Institute s.r.o
Related Working Packages: WP1 , WP2 , WP4 , WP5
About me: Nikiforos Alygizakis holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry and a M.Sc. in Chemical Analysis and Quality Control awarded by the University of Athens. His B.Sc. was funded by Athens University Legacy Foundation (Antonios Papadakis Legacy) and his M.Sc. by John S. Latsis Foundation. During his studies, he developed both analytical and programming skills. He is experienced in many sample preparation and instrumental techniques as well as programming, mainly using R language. He was trained on testing the quality of medicines during his four-month internship at the National Organization for Medicines of Greece. Moreover, he joined Prof. Thomaidis’ research team at the University of Athens, where he worked on sewage epidemiology field. He participated in many collaborative trials (COST action ES1307) and employed LC-QqQ to determine drugs of abuse and pharmaceuticals including many of their transformation products in different matrices. During his master thesis, he conducted research using state-of-the-art analytical equipment (LC-QTOF) and cutting-edge data processing tools to detect compounds with high fluctuation among replicated time-series wastewater samples and identify them using non-target strategies. His research interests are focused on treatment of LC-HRMS data, prioritization methodologies and non-target screening. Currently he is a Ph.D. Candidate to University of Athens and a Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher at the ANSWER Project, and his work is based on the development of advanced methods for the identification and risk assessment of antibiotics and their transformation products in wastewater.
Main scientific achievements: (i) Development of the first environmental digital archive that enables wide-scope suspect screening emerging substances, enhanced data mining and visualization capabilities. (ii) Application of wide-scope target chemical screening and other novel bioanalytical methods such as bioassays and antibiotic resistance gene analysis in wastewater collected from Danube river basin. (iii) Proposal of a putative action plan for wastewater treatment plant operators based on the in vitro bioassays results. (iv) Detection of chemical and biological hazards related to wastewater reuse using novel passive sampler prototype and advanced analytical chemical tools.
Experience gained: (i) Valuable experience on advanced analytical instrumentation, data processing tools and soft skills through a unique combination of training events, workshops and conferences. (ii) Truly international and multidisciplinary cooperation that enabled the application of a wide panel of analytical tools to characterize the threats related to wastewater reuse. (iii) Interaction with public, non-experts and end users through a multitude of dissemination activities. (iv) Secondments in the laboratories of partners and beneficiaries gave me the opportunity to exchange ideas and obtain a wider ecological viewpoint.