CAREER: An Integrated Research and Education Program to Advance Pathogen Detection and Quantitation

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1552353 Weidhaas This research will improve environmental stewardship efforts and public health protection by developing and optimizing a rapid method for tracking hundreds of waterborne pathogens and developing statistical tools for identifying the source of water impairment. Several basic research questions surrounding the interface of molecular biology, environmental microbiology, and environmental engineering are proposed. Additionally, this research and education program is expected to show that student understanding and retention of microbiology concepts for environmental engineers can be measurably improved using technology-enabled, interactive learning modules. The objective of this integrated research and education program is to develop and validate quantitative microarrays for simultaneously detecting hundreds of pathogens, fecal indicator bacteria, and microbial source tracking markers in environmental samples. The combination of the comprehensive microarray data with statistical methods for fecal source apportionment will advance the science of water protection. Rapid, multi-target tools for water quality monitoring that can simultaneously indicate fecal contamination sources can enhance our ability to provide high quality water supplies and water for reuse. In developing and testing this tool the transformative research proposed will: 1) refocus water microbiological safety monitoring on pathogens, 2) develop rigorous methods to overcome whole genome amplification bias, 3) develop quantitative microarrays, and, 4) develop statistical methods for fecal contamination source apportionment in water. The proposed quantitative microarray will facilitate rapid and sensitive determination of the presence of infectious agents in a variety of media (e.g., water, treated wastewater, and food). The research agenda proposed herein will: 1) establish upstream environmental sample processing for reproducible and unbiased concentration, extraction and amplification of nucleic acids, 2) develop quantitative microarrays and rigorous quality control methods for detection of nucleic acids from environmental samples, and 3) develop statistical methods for identification of the source of fecal pollution in environmental samples. The educational agenda proposed herein will develop, test, and disseminate technology-enabled, active-learning modules of fundamental microbiology concepts for environmental engineers. The development of tech-enabled, student-active learning modules allows for broad dissemination of these new tools and the concepts behind them to practicing engineers, educators, and students at multiple levels. The principal investigator has a plan to assess the effectiveness of the teaching modules and pipelines in place, especially for underrepresented groups. With the NSF-REU in place and departmental funds available, the feasibility of the educational components is high.