Population genetics of rifampicin-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa

Thesis

Antibiotic resistance is generally associated with a cost in terms of reduced competitive fitness in the absence of antibiotics. Despite this `cost of resistance', the cessation of antibiotic treatment does not result in significant reductions in the prevalence of resistance. The maintenance of resistance, in spite of the costs, has been attributed to the rarity of reversion mutations, relative to compensatory mutations at other loci in the genome. However, the large size of bacteria popu...

Expand abstract

Authors: Gifford, D

• Publication date: 2014
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: Oxford University, UK
• Language: English
• Keywords: experimental evolution
• Subjects: Evolution (zoology); Biology