The aspiration these days is to apply rapid methods for parallel analysis of bacteriome and resistome of food samples to increase food safety and prevent antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) spreading. In this work, we used nanopore sequencing (NS) to determine the diversity and dynamics of the microbiome and resistome in two types of bean sprouts. We proved that NS provided an easy, quick, and reliable way to identify the microbiome and resistome of a food sample also. The species diversity obtained by NS and by cultivation methods with MALDI-TOF MS identification was comparable. In both samples, before and after cultivation (30 °C, 48 h), the dominant part of bacteriome formed Gammaproteobacteria (Enterobacteriaceae, Erwiniaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Moraxellaceae) and then Firmicutes (Streptococcaceae). The diversity and abundance of single ARGs groups were comparable for both samples despite bacteriome differences. More than 50% of the detected ARGs alignments were mutations conferring resistance to aminoglycosides (16S rRNA), resistance to fluoroquinolones (gyrA, gyrB, parC, parD) and elfamycin (EF-Tu). ARGs encoding efflux pumps formed more than 30% of the detected alignments. Beta-lactamases were represented by many variants, but were less abundant.

The increasing occurrence of antibiotic resistance is one of the major problems of the 21st century. The occurrence of bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics subsequently narrows the spectrum of suitable antibiotics usable for the treatment of common bacterial infections or for the prevention of their occurrence, e.g., in surgery. Wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, and also the food chain belong to the hotspots, where the emergence and spread of new or existing strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes occur most frequently. Phenotypic culture methods are routinely used in laboratories to determine antibiotic resistance, but they are laborious and time-consuming and the interpretation of exact results is also difficult. For this reason, faster alternatives for the detection of antibiotic resistant bacteria or even antibiotic resistance genes are sought. Such an example of an alternative method for the detection of antibiotic resistant bacteria is the use of the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry phenotypic method to identify the beta-lactamase producers. Genotype methods provide faster analysis and, at the same time, more accurate detection. Antibiotic resistance genes can be directly detected and quantified by polymerase chain reaction. Microarrays can be used to further speed up and increase the specificity of PCR amplicons detection. Massive parallel methods provide comprehensive information on the resistoma of the specific environment. They facilitate sequencing of individual DNA molecules or amplicons to detect determinants of antibiotic resistance. Massive parallel methods have the potential to replace conventional pathogen characterization and allow the detection of all microorganisms in a sample (including difficult-to-cultivate or noncultivable microorganisms).