Each year, there are nearly three million cases of antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. caused by MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many of these infections happen during hospital stays, less is known about the role wastewater treatment facilities can play in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment.

Researchers at Oregon State University aim to change that with a new study that launched this month. They were awarded more than $2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to study the presence of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes at 40 wastewater treatment facilities in the U.S., including Oregon. The two-year-long study will also look at seasonal and regional differences in the population of that bacteria and how different treatment processes affect their growth and evolution. Joining us to share details of the study is Tala Navab-Daneshmand, the principal investigator of the study and an associate professor of engineering at OSU.

OSU researchers awarded $2 million to study antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater