Abstract
This study represents the first metagenomic characterization of the bacterial consortia of soils exposed to the long-term selection pressure caused by polluting β-lactam antibiotics at manufacturing sites. The study of the community changes with respect to β-lactam antibiotic presence, as a type of pressure created by anthropogenic activity, can provide an early warning system for anticipation of bacterial resistance development; among others: helping to develop next-generation antibiotics active against resistant strains.
Moreover, an improved understanding of the diversity that exists below-ground can help to explain the ecological mechanisms underlying community structure and develop conceptual models of the factors controlling the microbial diversity, as microbial ecology still lags behind plant and animal ecology in our ability to understand and predict distribution patterns.