DISTRIBUTION OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES IN THE ENVIRONMENT:
THE ROLE OF MINERAL FACILITATED HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER
Combining recent research across disciplines, I see evidence that minerals hold a high and unrecognized potential for enhancing the distribution of the ARg in the environment. Adsorption of ARg to minerals significantly increases the ARg’s lifetime and facilitates their distribution by sedimentary transport processes. In addition, minerals also serve as a) sites for horizontal gene transfer (HGT), b) platforms for microbial growth and, hence 3) act as hot spots for propagation of adsorbed ARg to other microbes. However, some minerals and ARg are bound more strongly than others and various bacteria have different affinities toward various minerals. Those variations in affinity are poorly quantified but vital for predicting the distribution of ARg in the environment.
Bacterial colony formation.
Image by Lisselotte Jauffred (collaborator from NBI)
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARg) is a worldwide health risk1 and is no longer only a clinical issue. Vast reservoirs of ARg are found in natural environments2–4 such as soils, sediments and oceans. The emergence and release of ARg to the environment is in particular caused by extended use of antibiotics in farming, e.g. where the genes dissipate from the manure.5 Once in the environment, the ARg are surprisingly rapidly propagated. It is well known that the ARg are distributed to neighbour bacteria through processes of both cell sharing or through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) where one species acquirer resistance from another.6,7 Most HGT responsible for the spread of ARg are assumed to be through direct microbe-microbe contact. However, I find that the outcome of non-contact transfer is grossly underestimated. In the HGT mechanism called “Transformation”, free ARg in suspension or adsorbed to a mineral can be picked up and incorporated into non-related organisms. Considering that free DNA only can survive for a few weeks in sea- and freshwater environments,8–10 any HGT from free DNA can rightly be assumed to be local, but if the DNA gets adsorbed to a mineral, it can survive for several hundred thousands of years.11–14 If this also holds for ARg, then minerals offer a potent mechanism for distributing ARg through our environments my means of sedimentary processes.
KARINA K. SAND
EDUCATION
2011 PhD. Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark
2007 MSc. Dept. of Geology, Faculty of Science, UCPH, Denmark and
the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Denmark
POSITIONS
2019 – current Associate Professor. kks@sund.ku.dk
Section of GeoGenetics, GLOBE institute,
Faculty of Health and Medical sciences, UCPH, Denmark
2018 – 2019 Associate Professor
Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UCPH, Denmark
2016 – current Ser Cymru II Research Fellow.
Geography & Earth Sciences, University of Aberystwyth. United Kingdom
2012 – 2018 Assistant Professor
Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UCPH, Denmark
2014 – 2016 Research Associate
Physical Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), USA
2013 – 2014 Visiting Scholar
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), USA
2011 – 2012 Postdoctoral Fellow
Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UCPH, Denmark
2008 – 2011 PhD Fellow
Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UCPH, Denmark
2007 – 2008 Research Assistant
Ore Dept., GEUS, Denmark
FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS (PI-TOTAL= ~ 3,016,000 EUR)
2021 – 2025 Carlsberg Foundation Young Researcher Fellowship
Funded by Carlsberg Foundation
Title: Mineral facilitated horizontal gene transport. -A new principle for the evolution of life?
2019 – 2024 VILLUM Young Investigator
Funded by VILLUM FONDEN
Title: Propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment: the role of mineral facilitated horizontal gene transfer.
2018 – 2020 DFF-ERC grant
Funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research
Title: The significance of minerals in horizontal gene transfer: A new principle for evolution of life?
2016 – 2019 Ser Cymru II Research Fellow
Funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Government of Wales
Title: Kinetic and thermodynamic controls on CaCO3 formation during geologic carbon storage; constraining and applying the influence of bacteria and clay.
2015 – 2016 DFF-Sapere Aude Research Talent
Funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research
Title: The influence of electron transport and charge density on precipitation, growth and transformation of iron oxides in microbial systems
2013 – 2015 DFF-Individual Post doc
Funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research
Title: Extracellular influence on precipitation, growth and transformation mechanisms of iron oxides in microbial systems.
COURSE AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES
2020 – Lecturer and examiner – Geomicrobiology (7.5 ETCS) for geology students. UCPH, Denmark
2018 Course responsible and lecturer –Molecular Geobiology (5 ECTS). PhD Course.
2017 – 2018 Lecturer and examiner – Geofluids (7.5 ETCS) for geology students. UCPH, Denmark
2012 – 2018 Course responsible and lecturer – Geochemistry (7.5 ETCS) for geology and chemistry students. Lecturer since 2009. Annual course. UCPH, Denmark
2012 – 2013 Course Organiser and Lecturer – Surface speciation (2.5 ECTS), PhD course for fellows in the Material Chemistry Section, UCPH, Denmark and Sweden
2010 – 2017 Lecturer – Advanced geochemistry (7.5 ETCS) for geology and chemistry students. UCPH, Denmark.
2008 – 2009 Instructor for KemiIntro, Kemi AU, and Miljø Kemi, (Introduction to chemistry, Lab chemistry, Environmental chemistry).
Department of Chemistry, Copenhagen University.
PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING
2017 2-day innovation course. ”Innovation in teaching.” Hosted by Rikke Okholm, IND/SCIENCE and Nina Riis, CHI/SUND
2016 – 2017 University Pedagogy (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 175 hr). UCPH, DK
2016 Introduction to University Pedagogy. UCPH, DK
ORGANISATION AND HOSTING SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND FIELDWORK
2017 – 2018 Member of the organising committee of the Nordic Geologic Winter meeting, Lyngby, Denmark. 10th-12th Jan.
Theme Chair of the session: High and low temperature geochemistry and Session organiser of 2 sessions.
2011 – 2016 5 Scientific sessions on the topics of mineral-polymer interactions at 5 Goldschmidt Conferences with 12-20 talks and 200
estimated participants per session. Yokohama 2016, Prague 2015, Sacramento 2014, Florence 2013, Prague 2011.
2015 Workshop on Biomineralization with 25 participants. Goldschmidt Conference in Prague 2011.
2012 – current Various seminars (~15) and fieldtrips (~4) for the Materials Chemistry Section.
Topics: biomineralisation, mineral-fluid interactions or Danish geology.
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
2021 – current Chair of GLOBE´s Diversity Programme
2020 – 2021 Member of GLOBE´s LSU (Lokal samarbejdsudvalg) representing VIP, DM.
2019 – 2021 Head of GLOBE´s diversity allies
2014 – current Member of the Faculty Committee for Gender and Equality, UCPH. Denmark
2012 – current Member of Appointment Committees; evaluator etc. UCPH. Denmark
COMMISSIONS OF TRUST AND MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
2020 - current Editor of Frontiers Research Topic: Interactions Between Microbes, Minerals, and Molecules Across Scales and Time
2018 Editorial Board Member at Scientific Reports, Nature Research
2017 – 2018 Scientific Committee, Nordic Geologic Winter meeting. Denmark
2017 – 2020 Board member of the Danish Geological Association (DGF). Denmark www.2dgf.dk
2012 - current Member of “academic hiring/assessment committees”
2011 – current Reviewer for peer-reviewed journals: Nature Communications, Chemistry of Materials, Environmental Science & Technology, Journal of Materials Research, Crystal Growth & Design, Langmuir, Nanoscale, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, Journal of Crystal Growth. Journal of Nanoparticle Research.
INVITED TALKS
2020 Invited talk at the European Microscopy Congress (emc2020), cancled.
2019 "The mineral-water interface: direct implications for the evolution of life? 2019. GSA abstract, Phoenix, Arizona 22nd-26th of September."
2018 “From inorganic mineral formation toward biogenic processes.” Keynote lecture on Biomineralization at the Gordon Research
Seminar on Biomineralisation July-August 2018, New London. USA
2017 “Mineral formation at the nanoscale.” Talk hosted by the Danish Geologic Society. Copenhagen. Event for Danish geologists
across disciplines.
2017 “Mechanistic insight into microbial biomineralization of iron oxides.” Goldschmidt conference Paris. Session: “Microbial
biomineralization: mechanisms, impacts and applications.”
2014 “The Activity of an Ancient Biogenic Polysaccharide: A Strong Growth Inhibitor and Morphology Moderator for Calcite.”
Goldschmidt Conference Sacramento, 2014. Session: “Biomineral Crystals: Formation Mechanisms, Crystal Structure, and
Materials Properties.”
2011 “Where does diamonds come from and how to estimate if the Greenlandic kimberlites contain diamonds”. Talk in the session on
“Diamonds in Greenland” prior to awarding the Danish Geological Prize, hosted by Danish Geologic Society, Copenhagen.
FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE
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Project senior geologist for Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd on the East Coast of Greenland. Geological consulting and Ni and sulfide exploration. Fieldwork and reporting. Summer 2011.
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Excursion leader on a 3-day field excursion for scientists. The formation of rocks and sediments. Spring 2011.
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Project senior geologist for Nuna Minerals and Trigorn GeoServices in West Greenland. Geological consulting and diamond and sulfide exploration fieldwork. Outcome confidential. Summer 2010.
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Project geologist and team leader for the field activity of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in the southern Nuuk region, Greenland. Kimberlite exploration and sampling of mantle xenoliths. Found new kimberlitic occurrences. Summer 2007.
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Senior field assistant for the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in the field activity in the Maniitsoq region, Greenland. Kimberlite exploration and sampling of mantle xenoliths. Found numerous kimberlitic occurrences, many of which contain diamonds. Summer 2006.
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Team leader and senior field assistant for the field activity of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in the Nuuk region, Greenland. Geological, geochemical, and radiological mapping of the Tikiusaaq carbonatite complex. Summer 2006.
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Senior field assistant and logistic coordinator for the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Geophysical program in the Kangerlussuaq and Sissimiut regions of Southern West Greenland. Setting up seismographs. Summer 2006.
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Logistic coordinator for the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Coordinating and planning logistic for fieldwork. Kangerlussuaq and Sissimiut regions of Southern West Greenland. Spring - Summer 2006.
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Site Geologist for International Molybdenum Plc at Malmbjerg (porphyry Mo) in north East Greenland. Drill alignment, tunnel mapping, core logging, channel-, chip- and bulk sampling. Sampling for assay and various analysis. Summer 2005.
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Consulting geologist for Trigon GeoServices Ltd. Mounting of indicator minerals. Autumn 2005.
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Consulting geologist for Trigon GeoServices Ltd. Mounting of indicator minerals and electron microprobe work. Winter 2005/2006.
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Project Geologist for International Molybdenum Plc at Skaergaard (layered mafic intrusion) and Flammefjeld (Porphory Mo) in East Greenland. Spotting of potential drill sites, bulk sampling and camp overhaul. Summer 2005.
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Senior field assistant for Hudson Resources Inc. drilling program in southern West Greenland Drill site spotting, core logging, logistics, kimberlite exploration, on-site evaluation of drill holes (closure/continuation). Found new kimberlitic occurrences and the first diamond exploration site in Greenland is now established based on our findings. Spring 2005.
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Field assistant for GEUS in south West Greenland. Till-, stream- and soil sampling. Finding and sampling of kimberlites, mantle xenoliths and sulphide rich rock. Found several now kimberlitic occurrences, many of which are diamond containing. Summer 2004.
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Field assistant on collecting a georadar profile on glacial sediments in Sealand, Denmark. Spring 2002.
CV
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SUMMARY
Assoc. Prof working on the interface between geology, geochemistry, geomicrobiology and biophysics.
Topics: Propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment, mineral nucleation and growth, boimineralization, evolution of life, preservation of eDNA, ecology, microbial evolution, mineral facilitated horizontal gene transfer, biofilm formation, origin of life.
Speciality: Liquid cell in-situ techniques to explore and quantify bio-mineral interactions and dynamics.
Orcid ID: 0000-0002-0720-7229
Researcher ID: P-1008-2014
