Winter Air in Belgrade Brings Superbugs
Air pollution and antibiotic resistance are a dangerous mix, and a new study in Belgrade shows how they interact. Researchers found that during the heating season, winter air carried a dense network of antibiotic, biocide, and metal resistance genes, while autumn air was dominated by harmless Lactococcus bacteria. The work highlights how seasonal pollution can reshape airborne genetic determinants of resistance, underscoring the need for combined air quality and antimicrobial surveillance in polluted cities.
The research was conducted within the project AirPollRes funded within the PROMIS program by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia.
Heating-season dynamics of the airborne microbiome, resistome and mobilome in Belgrade, Serbia