ResFinderFG v2.0

ResFinderFG v2.0 provides a curated database of 3,913 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) identified by functional metagenomics from 50 datasets to improve detection and characterization of resistomes across environmental and host-associated samples.

Key Features:

• Functional metagenomics approach: Identifies ARGs via phenotypic gene selection rather than sequence homology, enabling discovery of resistance determinants not detectable by homology-based methods.
• Curated repository size: Contains 3,913 ARGs compiled from 50 functional metagenomics datasets.
• Antibiotic class coverage: Includes ARGs conferring resistance to beta-lactams, cyclines, phenicols, glycopeptides/cycloserine, and trimethoprim/sulfonamides.
• Comparative detection capability: Comparative analyses against databases such as ResFinder and CARD and across gut, soil, and water (marine and freshwater) Global Microbial Gene Catalogues detect unique ARGs not present in those resources.
• Representation of non-culturable taxa: Captures ARGs from non-culturable and non-pathogenic bacteria that are underrepresented in conventional sequence-homology databases.

Scientific Applications:

• Epidemiological studies: Monitoring the dissemination of ARGs across ecosystems and host populations.
• Environmental microbiology: Investigating the presence and diversity of ARGs in soil and water, including marine and freshwater environments.
• Public health research: Expanding surveillance of emerging resistance threats by increasing detectable resistome diversity beyond sequence-based resources.

Methodology:

ARGs were identified by functional metagenomics using phenotypic gene selection rather than sequence-homology criteria; entries were compared against other ARG databases (e.g., ResFinder, CARD) within gut, soil, and water (marine and freshwater) Global Microbial Gene Catalogues.