Microplastic-driven carbon availability differentiates phage-host interactions in shaping soil resistome.

Microplastics alter soil phage-host interactions, increasing antibiotic resistance gene spread by up to 50% in agroecosystems.

• Why it matters: Understanding how microplastics influence microbial and viral dynamics is crucial for assessing environmental risks related to antibiotic resistance dissemination.
• What they did: Using multi-omics approaches and experimental validation, the study examined microbial responses to biodegradable and nondegradable microplastics, focusing on ARG abundance and phage activity.
• The result: Both microplastic types elevated ARG levels, with biodegradable MPs promoting horizontal gene transfer via lysogenic phages and nondegradable MPs enriching bacteria with complex degradation genes, enhancing ARG proliferation.