%0 Student Work %T Existing and Inducible Antibiotic Resistance in Worcester, Massachusetts %A McBrine, Rachel; Baker, Emily %D 2022-04-28 %8 2022-07-16 %I Worcester Polytechnic Institute %R https://digital.wpi.edu/show/hh63t004t %X This project investigated existing and inducible antibiotic resistance (AR) present at several public sites in and around Worcester, MA. Bacteria from the soil were screened for ampicillin resistance and tested for multidrug resistance. AR was induced through the bacterial metabolite 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) in E.coli. Liquid cultures of E. coli were exposed to DHB, then cultured on antibiotic plates over time. Optical density measurements provided data on E.coli’s proliferation to infer the fitness cost of expressing AR genes. Our soil isolates showed that multidrug-resistant organisms are present at many locations around Worcester. Our DHB experiments supported previous findings that exposure to DHB induces antibiotic resistance in E. coli. %9 Major Qualifying Project %~ Digital WPI %W WPI