Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

09 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

There is a weak relationship between 3D mandibular shape and diet in extant primates

This is a study that uses 3D shape analyses to investigate if there is a relationship between mandible shape in...

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09 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

The presumed invisibility and “mute” voices of Pinay lesbian writers parallel the similar invisibility of nature in Philippine anthologies

In the introduction to Tingle: Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing (2021), the anthology’s editor, Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, points to...

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03 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

AI can enhance conceptual understanding and boost self-confidence in mathematics

AI is increasingly integrated into educational settings, offering personalized learning experiences that adapt to individual needs. While AI has the...

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28 May 2025

UP Diliman

SPECIAL FEATURE: How did Filipino athletes cope with the Covid-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected social and economic life around the world. To protect public health, many countries enforced lockdowns...

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21 May 2025

UP Diliman

Machine learning holds great promise for advancing hadron physics and deepening our understanding of the subatomic world

We investigated a peak signal around MeV in the invariant mass spectrum, which has intrigued physicists as a potential candidate...

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20 May 2025

UP Diliman

Cigarette demand varies with changes in price

This study looks into how recent tax reforms on cigarettes and fermented liquor in the Philippines have affected people’s consumption...

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08 May 2025

UP Diliman

There is a weak positive correlation between land surface temperature and concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide

This study looks at how land surface temperature (LST) from satellite data, elevation, and air quality parameters are related in...

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07 May 2025

Proper water management and soil sanitation can help prevent crop losses caused by the Paramyrothecium fungus

Paramyrothecium is a fungus that can cause plant diseases like coffee leaf spots, muskmelon crown rot, and eggplant crater rot....

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02 May 2025

Simulations show that rosette nanotube is a potential vehicle for anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel

Anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX) affect the healthy cells apart from the cancer cells, causing severe side effects. Targeted...

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30 Apr 2025

Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign offered supporters spaces that reflected their hopes by highlighting gender and sexuality issues

This paper examines how Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign during the 2022 Philippines elections used language and visuals to create a...

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30 Apr 2025

Researchers propose a modified inelastic bouncing ball model that includes collision time between the ball and its container

The behavior of granular materials subjected to shaking or vibration remains a complex puzzling phenomenon. A reliable strategy in science...

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25 Apr 2025

A method has been developed to determine the minimum aperture size that a digital micromirror device can accurately render

A digital micromirror device (DMD) is a programmable pixelated instrument that uses an array of tiny individually switchable mirrors as...

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Research

Due to rising costs or the inaccessibility of commercial water, many rural communities rely on artesian well (“poso”) water as their primary water source. But because artesian well waters are not treated and are often not tested regularly, they may be contaminated with microorganisms that could cause diseases, including those resistant to antibiotics.

This study looked at artesian well water samples from selected barangays in Los Baños, Laguna to check for Escherichia coli, a bacterium often linked to fecal contamination. Of the 30 water samples, eight have exhibited fecal contamination, three of which were identified as contaminated by E. coli. When the E. coli isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance, it was found that they were resistant to antibiotics, with one isolate resistant to four antibiotics used in this study. This resistance is linked to a specific gene called TEM gene, which gives resistance to a group of antibiotics known as beta-lactams. The study also revealed that 10 households used the water sample from which an antibiotic-resistant E. coli was detected as drinking water.

With this, it is imperative to educate the community about the risks associated with consuming contaminated water. More importantly, regular monitoring of artesian well waters and providing access to safe drinking water by local government units are recommended.

This study aims to raise awareness of the presence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria in water sources such as artesian well waters, specifically E. coli, which is an indicator of fecal contamination. MDR bacteria increase the risk of contracting diseases that are harder to treat, thus posing a significant public health concern. Moreover, MDR bacteria present in water sources may further spread resistance to other bacteria, making it more challenging to control their spread. Thus, this study sheds light on the importance of water sources that are safe for daily consumption and the role of local government units and organizations in monitoring the quality of water in communities.

Authors: Marian Jean T. Panganiban (Microbiology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños), Ivan Raden A. Rosario (St. Luke’s College of Medicine, Sta. Ignaciana St., Cathedral Heights, Quezon City) and Noel G. Sabino (Microbiology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/multidrug-resistant-escherichia-coli-from-artesian-well-waters-in-los-banos-laguna-the-philippines/