UNS: Temporal Monitoring of Waterborne Contamination: An Engineered Substrate with Selective Cryptosporidium Adsorption Properties

1511784 JellisonCryptosporidium是一种水传播寄生虫，可引起胃肠道疾病，对老年人和免疫功能低下的人可能是致命的。隐孢子虫病没有医学治愈方法，由于在市政水处理厂中卵囊可能无法完全去除/灭活，因此有必要监测源沃茨中的隐孢子虫污染，以确定公共卫生风险，并确定有限的预算应最有效地用于保护消费者免受水传播的致病性卵囊暴露。目前用于供水中隐孢子虫监测的采样方法（EPA方法1623.1）依赖于过滤和处理10 L水，提供过滤时河流状况的“快照”。该团队的主要目标是开发一种更便宜、更可靠的方法来检测公共供水中的隐孢子虫卵囊。卵囊可以牢固地附着在生物膜上;然而，生物膜取样受到生物膜生长的固有可变性的限制。从这种生物膜吸附性质中获得灵感，目前的团队将专注于开发一种对隐孢子虫卵囊具有固定吸附能力的人造基质。这些基底将被设计成具有与卵囊互补的表面特征，其允许通过表面化学进行非特异性粘附，所述表面化学允许氢键键合或通过将卵囊表面的分子指纹压印到基底上进行特异性粘附。这些底物最初将在实验室规模的生物反应器中进行分析，这将提供关键的结合参数。然后将基质部署在自然水道中，以确定基质的鲁棒性，目的是最终提供对水道健康状况的更多时间观察。该研究计划是高度跨学科的，通过新课程和实践研究机会为学生培训提供了绝佳的机会。PI和co-PI有指导STEM中代表性不足的群体的学生的历史，并将继续从这些群体中招募学生参与该项目。此外，还将与附近的一所一级学校布劳威尔中学合作开发几个教育项目。这些教育计划将包括小册子，项目和实地教育，重点是水安全和保护。

1511784JellisonCryptosporidium is a waterborne parasite responsible for a gastrointestinal disease that can be fatal for the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Cryptosporidiosis has no medical cure, and since oocysts may not be completely removed/inactivated in municipal water treatment plants, monitoring Cryptosporidium contamination in source waters is necessary to identify public health risks and determine where limited budgets should most effectively be spent to protect consumers from waterborne exposure to pathogenic oocysts. Current sample methodology for Cryptosporidium monitoring in water supplies (EPA Method 1623.1) relies on filtering and processing 10 L of water, providing a "snapshot" of river conditions at the time of filtration. The primary goal of the team is to develop a cheaper and more reliable method for detecting Cryptosporidium oocysts in public water supplies.Previous work in the PIs laboratory has shown that Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts can robustly attach to biofilms; however, biofilm sampling is limited by the inherent variability in biofilm growth. Taking inspiration from this biofilm sorptive nature, the current team will focus on developing a manufactured substrate with fixed sorptive capacity for Cryptosporidium oocysts. These substrates will be engineered with surface features complementary to the oocyst that allow either non-specific adhesion through surface chemistry that would allow for hydrogen bonding or specific adhesion by imprinting a molecular fingerprint of the oocyst surface onto the substrate. These substrates will be analyzed initially in lab-scale bioreactors, which will provide crucial binding parameters. The substrates will then be deployed in natural waterways to determine the robustness of the substrates, with the goal of eventually providing a more temporal look at the health of the waterway. This research program is highly interdisciplinary, providing an excellent opportunity for student training through new courses and hands-on research opportunities. The PI and co-PI have a history of mentoring students from underrepresented groups in STEM, and will continue to recruit from these groups for inclusion in this project. In addition, several educational programs will be developed in collaboration with Broughal Middle School, a nearby Title 1 school. These educational programs will include brochures, projects, and field education focused on water safety and conservation.