Synergistic antibiotics in wastewater may suppress antimicrobial resistance development.
Antibiotic interactions in wastewater affect the development of antimicrobial resistance. E. coli populations exposed to synergistic antibiotics show less resistance than expected, while populations exposed to antagonistic antibiotics develop resistance based on the antibiotic ratio. This suggests that the way antibiotics interact and their concentrations play a crucial role in resistance development. Understanding these interactions is important for predicting and managing antimicrobial resistance in wastewater environments.