Diving into how DNA shards spread antimicrobial resistance

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Dr Onalenna Neo is a Sanger Excellence Fellow investigating the factors that allow antimicrobial resistance genes to spread between bacteria. She became fascinated with microbiology and bacteria during her undergraduate degree and wants to help in the fight against antibiotic resistance, one of the biggest global health threats of our time.

So Ona, what will you be working on during your Excellence Fellowship?

I am interested in unravelling the drivers and mechanisms behind how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes emerge and spread between bacteria, with a particular focus on mobile genetic elements (MGEs). These are small pieces of DNA that can move within and between organisms. They play a key role in bacteria sharing genes, especially those that help them adapt and survive in different environments, such as AMR genes.

To do this, I am using genomics to study bacteria and MGEs in different environments. I am aiming to understand more about what MGEs are present in different samples, how they move and how they contribute to the spread of AMR in complex environments, such as rivers and hospitals.

Initially, I will be using river water samples before later gathering hospital wastewater samples. I will be doing this over long periods of time to determine how seasons, human activity, and type of environment influence MGE-driven transmission of AMR genes.

As part of my fellowship, I am also developing new methods to use. I am working to implement genomic tools and experimental methods that can give us a more comprehensive understanding of AMR gene evolution and transmission in different ecosystems.

Why is it important?

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) have a significant role in bacterial adaptation and evolution and are particularly important for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is an ongoing global health concern that affects multiple aspects of life.

It is estimated that by 2050 AMR bacteria will cause more deaths than cancer globally¹ if nothing is done to address it, highlighting how serious this threat is to human life. Additionally, AMR also impacts agriculture, with resistant bacteria found in animals that are used for food, posing a threat to food security². The problem is compounded by the fact that drug resistance in bacteria is evolving faster than new drugs are being developed and this is having major human and economic impact. I want to do what I can to help in the fight against this.

What do you hope to achieve?

I would like to do my part to contribute to our collective knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and in particular, I’d like this knowledge to be used to help stop the spread of treatment-resistant bacteria. I am also keen to work with wider communities to raise awareness of AMR.

What is your favourite aspect of your research?

I like a lot of different aspects of the work that I'm doing here at the Sanger Institute. In my PhD, I was a wet lab scientist, and here I am combining wet lab work with bioinformatics, which is exciting for me. I am especially looking forward to using genomics to answer some of the big questions that we have about antimicrobial resistance.

Why did you become a scientist?

I was always interested in why people get sick. As a child, if someone around me got sick I would always be asking questions to find as much as I could about what was happening to them. When I was younger, this made me think that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine.

However, when I came to do my undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol I was exposed to more options in science and it became clear that my interest was less towards treating people and more in understanding the other aspects that influence health.

My interest really peaked when I started learning about microbiology and became fascinated with bacteria and the impact of antimicrobial resistance genes. In particular, an undergraduate microbiology lecture where we were exploring how bacteria keep evolving to resist antibiotics. I remember being fascinated by this while also being frightened by the evolutionary and adaptive capabilities of bacteria in terms of resistance to antibiotics and the associated public health implications. The more I learnt about bacteria, the more curious I became. So, I decided to get into research to understand more about different aspects of bacteriology.

The challenging thing was that growing up I didn’t know any microbiologists or scientists, so it was never presented as a career option. I remember being incredibly excited when I realised that I could continue to follow my passion in my work, and that I could become a scientist. To me, this shows how important representation of different career paths is, as I think my interest has become more defined when I learnt more about disease and science.

What advice would you give to someone interested in antimicrobial resistance or the Sanger Excellence Fellowship?

For someone interested in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), I would advise them to stay on top of the literature. Keep exploring the field to find out what is going on and to identify key things that we could do in the fight against AMR. I would also advise them to network with scientists who are working in AMR to get advice on how to navigate this field. Additionally, I think it is very important to seek out collaborations with other scientists to benefit from a diverse range of expertise and skill sets. I have found that joining learned societies such as the Microbiology Society can also help broaden one's network and often presents several opportunities for growth and development in the field.

For the Excellence Fellowship, I would say to take a similar approach and lead with curiosity. Find out more about Sanger faculty and research, try and talk to people in the teams that you are interested in, and clarify what you would want to do if you were here. I think it is also good to talk to people who are currently on the fellowship and ask questions about how the journey will look. There is a lot of support during the application process and current fellows are always happy to lend an ear and offer advice if needed.

Are there any scientists who’ve had a big impact on your career?

One of the people who I look up to the most, and who inspires me a lot in my research, is Iruka Okeke, Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. I haven’t worked with her directly, so you could say she was more of a science hero to me.

She’s really inspiring when she talks about the work that she does in microbiology and her passion for training upcoming scientists who go on to be experts in their area of work is captivating. For me, I find her incredibly impressive because there is a lack of people with Black heritage in research and she works hard to include diversity in science. I don’t remember knowing a lot of female Black professors during my undergraduate degree or my PhD, so I think it's been very powerful to see her excel.

I'm also inspired by people at my career stage, particularly those from communities and backgrounds that do not have a lot of representation in science, who like me are fighting to make their mark in spaces where they are often underrepresented. Seeing the level of dedication and hard work that they have to do to get into those spaces is very motivating for me, and I want to be a part of that and contribute to changing how the science and research space looks.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am a self-professed poet, and I hope to publish a poetry book at some point in the future. In my spare time, I like going for walks along the river Cam or meeting up with friends for coffee and a chat.

I am also passionate about empowering young people, especially those in resource-limited countries like my home country, Botswana. I think there is a lot of underutilised talent in young people who grow up in under-resourced countries — diamonds in the rough if you like.  I think it is important to support them so that they can reach their full potential.