RAPID: Microbiome Analysis of Household Biofilm Specimens in Flint, Michigan

[1639066] kilgo2014年4月，弗林特市将其供水系统（休伦湖）改为弗林特河，以节省成本。腐蚀性的增加导致重金属（例如铅和铁）释放到供水系统中。这项快速拨款解决了我们知识上的一个关键空白，并提供了一个及时而独特的机会，以促进我们对构成弗林特饮用水分配系统生物膜的细菌群落的基本了解。生物膜和阿米巴宿主是病原体的重要栖息地，并保护它们免受氯等消毒剂的侵害。个人可能暴露于雾化的军团菌，分枝杆菌和假单胞菌在污染的水从淋浴头，淋浴管道和热水器。尽管人们认识到受污染的水暴露是军团菌病的一个重要危险因素，但目前关于生物膜微生物群中与军团菌共存的细菌种群的信息有限。在这个项目中，pi提议的研究将表征细菌生物膜群落及其在供应弗林特家庭的饮用水分配系统中的分布。利用针对16S rDNA的宏基因组分析，pi假设生物膜细菌种群可能会因家庭与水处理地点的距离以及与生物膜采样同时收集的水的物理化学特征而变化。目前，对家庭饮用水和家庭淋浴管和加湿器的生物膜拭子进行了标准培养和分子方法分析，以确定军团菌的存在。本研究的目的是比较有和没有军团菌的生物膜标本中的微生物群。本研究将利用定量PCR和DNA测序方法鉴定细菌病原体生物膜微生物群。该项目将提供弗林特家庭生物膜微生物群落中细菌种类的新特征。这些数据将用于比较携带和不携带军团菌标本的饮用水氯含量，微生物组分析结果将用于指导未来的环境采样和军团菌和其他细菌病原体的监测。此外，将对2015年疫情中从病例患者中分离到的现有军团菌与弗林特家庭生物膜标本中鉴定出的军团菌进行遗传比较。这项工作的结果将有助于指导制定重要的干预策略，以减少OPPP暴露并保护易感个体免受这些潜在病原体的侵害。

1639066KilgoreIn April 2014, the city of Flint switched its water supply from Detroit's system (Lake Huron) to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. The increased corrosiveness resulted in the release of heavy metals (e.g., lead and iron) into the water supply. This RAPID grant addresses a critical gap in our knowledge and offers a timely, yet unique opportunity to advance our fundamental understanding of bacterial communities that make up biofilms in the Flint potable water distribution systems.Biofilm and amoebic hosts are an important habitat for pathogens and protect them from disinfectants such as chlorine. Individuals may be exposed to aerosolized Legionella spp., Mycobacterium spp., and Pseudomonas spp in contaminated water from shower heads, shower plumbing, and water heaters. Despite recognition that contaminated water exposure is an important risk factor for Legionellosis, there is currently limited information on bacterial populations that coexist with Legionella spp. within biofilm microbiomes. In this project, the PIs proposed research will characterize bacterial biofilm communities and their distribution within potable water distribution systems supplying Flint households. Using metagenomic analysis targeting 16S rDNA, the PIs hypothesize that biofilm bacterial populations may vary by household distance from water treatment sites as well as by physico-chemical characteristics of water collected concurrent with biofilm sampling. Currently, household sampling of potable water and biofilm swabs from household shower pipes and humidifiers are being analyzed using standard culture and molecular methods for the presence of Legionella spp. The aim of this study is to compare microbiome found in biofilm specimens with and without Legionella spp. The study will utilize quantitative PCR and DNA sequencing methods to identify bacterial pathogens biofilm microbiomes. The proposed project will provide novel characterization of bacterial species in biofilm microbiomes of Flint households. These data will be used to compare potable water chlorine levels among specimens with and without Legionella spp. Results from microbiome analysis will used to guide future environmental sampling and surveillance for Legionella and other bacterial pathogens. Moreover, available Legionella spp. isolated from case-patients in the epidemic of 2015 will be genetically compared with those identified among biofilm specimens in Flint households. The results of this work will help guide the development of important intervention strategies to reduce OPPP exposure and protect susceptible individuals from these potential pathogens.