Congratulations to Changzhi Wang for taking home the “Best Poster Award" at MEWE 2021. His poster entitled “Metagenomic investigation of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factor genes in extracellular DNA across wastewater treatment processes” aims to investigate antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factors genes (VFGs) present in exDNA at different stages of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), emphasizing those ARGs/VFGs associated with plasmids/phages. 

Extracellular DNA (exDNA) is an emerging contaminant in wastewater that cannot be removed efficiently due to its small molecular size and poor settleability. Hence it can be disseminated into the environment by water reuse. His research suggests an increased relative abundance of ARGs associated with plasmids across treatment processes elucidates the risk of exDNA as a mediator for ARGs/VFGs across wastewater treatment. 

Wang bested 95 other participants on five different categories at the 9th IWA MEWE Specialist Conference hosted virtually by the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, on October 18-20.

Wang is an environmental science and engineering (EnSE) Ph.D. student under the supervision of Prof. Peiying Hong.