The increased prevalence among bacteria of resistance to antimicrobial drugs (antimicrobial resistance, or AMR) is a critical societal challenge that threatens human, environmental and agricultural health. When antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections are no longer effective, infections last longer and there is increased risk of death. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are ?hotspots? for AMR spread due to the enriched presence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance genes, and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Therefore, WWTPs are a unique system for mitigating AMR spread in the environment. This project investigates the role of different environmental factors, such as temperature, heavy metals, and other contaminants in the development of AMR.