Genome-based insights into metal co-resistance in Amazonian mercury-resistant bacteria: ecological lifestyle and biosafety implications for bioremediation.

complex, lacks key virulence factors and displays features consistent with a non-pathogenic lifestyle. Our genomic analyses indicate that TP30 and TR100 harbor desirable traits for mercury bioremediation, including broad-spectrum Hg resistance, low antibiotic resistance gene content, and the absence of major pathogenicity markers, making them promising candidates for further evaluation under controlled conditions. IMPORTANCE: Mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health worldwide, particularly in vulnerable regions like the Amazon. Robust mercury-resistant bacteria offer a sustainable solution for detoxifying contaminated environments, but their potential application requires careful genomic assessment to minimize biosafety risks. This study integrates comparative genomics, resistance profiling, and lifestyle prediction to evaluate two highly mercury-resistant bacterial isolates from mining sediments. We show that these strains harbor broad-spectrum mercury resistance genes with low antibiotic resistance burdens and lack key virulence markers, supporting their suitability as environmentally adapted candidates. By coupling metal detoxification potential with genomic screening, our work highlights a framework for identifying promising, high-performance candidates for bioremediation, advancing microbiological solutions to address metal pollution in impacted ecosystems.