Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Department

Biology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

The diversity of microbes within the soil plays an essential role in soil ecosystem

functioning. However, these microbes may also serve as environmental reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes. The study examined the diversity of bacteria that are found in soil across Rural/Agricultural and Rural/Nonagricultural landscapes within some selected counties in Kansas and its associated antibiotic resistance genes taxa. A total of twenty-four soil samples was collected and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing which targeted the V3-V4 regions. Statistical analysis revealed that the alpha diversity metrics (Chao1 richness and Shannon evenness) showed no significant difference in microbial structure (p=0.693, p=0.974). However, beta diversity patterns based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity did not indicate a clear separation between Rural/Agricultural and Rural/Non-Agricultural soils. Consistent with this observation, statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed no significant differences between the two land-use groups (p = 0.7105). Taxonomic analysis showed that soil microbial communities were dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi. Several bacterial families previously associated with antibiotic resistance, including Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Burkholderiaceae, were detected at low relative abundances across multiple samples. These findings highlight the heterogeneity in microbial structure and suggest that soil may serve as potential reservoirs for taxa associated with antibiotic resistance. Within the One Health framework, understanding environmental microbial reservoirs is important for addressing the broader ecological dimensions of antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords

Antibiotic Resistance, One Health

Advisor

Dr. Claudia Carvalho

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Thesis

Rights

© The Author

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