US-Singapore planning visit: Survivability of human enteric virus in surface water

1066152Nguyen该奖项支持伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的Thanh Nguyen教授与新加坡国立大学环境科学与工程系的Karina Gin教授和Jiangyong Hu教授的计划访问。他们将开始规划一个合作项目，研究人类肠道病毒在新加坡河流和水库地表水中的生存能力。通过在国立大学的初步取样和灭活实验，他们将研究阳光和水质对病毒存活能力的作用。对淡水需求的增加和地下水资源的同时枯竭迫使人类寻找非传统的水源，如循环水和再生水。利用这些水源面临的一个新挑战是存在致病性病毒。在新加坡进行的研究表明，新加坡地表水中存在人类肠道病毒并存在这种病毒的循环。芝加哥大都市区的污水排放尚未消毒，因此缺乏对河流地表水的类似研究。研究人员提出了以下假设：1)城市地表水中人类肠道病毒的浓度和生存能力因阳光照射而昼夜波动；2)溶解有机物浓度、悬浮颗粒类型和浓度等水质参数会影响地表水中病毒的命运。白天每小时进行一次初步实地抽样。轮状病毒和腺病毒的浓度将采用分子法和培养依赖法测定。将进行实验室研究，以确定轮状病毒和腺病毒在阳光下的灭活率，并对病毒灭活的机制进行了解。现场和实验室数据的结合将有助于开发病毒在地表水中生存能力的预测模型。美国和新加坡的研究人员之间有足够的兴趣重叠，表明他们可以成功地开展所提议的活动，并且这种互动将使双方受益。新加坡的研究人员在地表水中的病毒存在和病毒消毒技术方面具有专长。这位美国研究人员在水生环境中致病性病毒的命运和传播方面具有专长。这项合作将使美国未来更好地利用水资源，特别是在阳光充足但淡水匮乏的美国南部。目前参加“无国界工程师”项目的一名美国研究生和本科生将参加这次访问。这个项目将为学生提供额外的学术和文化体验，以及跨学科研究的各个方面的经验，从表面化学和分子生物学到水处理。预计他们将在整个职业生涯中与新加坡合作者保持联系。

1066152NguyenThis award supports a planning visit to enable Professor Thanh Nguyen at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to meet with Professors Karina Gin and Jiangyong Hu in the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering at the National University of Singapore. They will begin planning a collaborative project on the survivability of human enteric virus in surface water in rivers and reservoirs in Singapore. Through preliminary samplings and inactivation experiments at the National University they will study the role of sun light and water quality on virus survivability. An increase in demand for fresh water and the simultaneous depletion of groundwater resources has forced mankind to look for nontraditional water sources such as recycled and reclaimed water. One emerging challenge for the use of these water sources is the presence of pathogenic viruses. Studies conducted in Singapore showed the presence and circulation of human enteric viruses in surface water in Singapore. Similar studies on surface water in rivers located in the Chicago metropolitan area, where wastewater effluent has not been disinfected, are lacking. The researchers are proposing the following hypotheses: 1) the concentration and survivability of human enteric virus in surface water in urban areas fluctuates diurnally due to sun light exposure; and 2) water quality parameters, such as concentration of dissolved organic matter and suspended particle type and concentration, will influence the fate of virus in surface water. Preliminary field samplings will be conducted every hour during the day. Concentration of rotavirus and adenovirus will be determined using both molecular methods and culture-dependent methods. Laboratory studies will be conducted to determine inactivation rates of rotavirus and adenovirus by sun light and to develop a mechanistic understanding of virus inactivation. The combination of field and laboratory data will help develop predictive models for virus survivability in surface water. There is sufficient overlap of interests between researchers in the U.S and Singapore to indicate that they can successfully pursue the activities proposed, and that the interaction will benefit both sides. The Singapore researchers have expertise in virus presence in surface water and virus disinfection technology. The U.S. researcher has expertise on the fate and transport of pathogenic viruses in aquatic environments. This collaboration will allow a better future use of water resources in the U.S., especially in the American South, where sun light is abundant but fresh water is not. A U.S. graduate student and undergraduate student, currently participating in the Engineers Without Borders program, will be taking part in this visit. This project will provide the students with additional academic and cultural experiences, as well as experience in all aspects of this interdisciplinary research, ranging from surface chemistry and molecular biology to water treatment. It is anticipated that they will maintain contact with their Singapore collaborators throughout their careers.