The attachment of agricultural Escherichia coli isolates to environmental particles is significantly associated with multi-drug resistance. This association motivates our hypothesis that the genes responsible for bacterial attachment are encoded on a mobile genetic element that also encodes resistance and virulence. These mobile genetic elements are a group of transferable genes that can pass from one bacterium to another; plasmids are the most common form. Here, gene transfer confers not only resistance but possibly virulence. Thus, these genes are a possible environmental contaminant that could threaten human health. In this pilot-scale work we will first confirm that the genes encoding resistance and attachment can be co-transferred between bacteria. This would validate these genes as environmental contaminants. We will then sequence any plasmids transferred between bacteria during the transference of resistance and attachment. This would identify any virulence-associated genes, providing information about the threat that these plasmids present to human health.