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

1552353 Weidhaas这项研究将通过开发和优化一种快速追踪数百种水传播病原体的方法，以及开发用于识别水损害来源的统计工具，来改善环境管理工作和公众健康保护。围绕分子生物学、环境微生物学和环境工程的交叉领域，提出了若干基础研究问题。此外，这项研究和教育计划预计将表明，使用技术支持的交互式学习模块，学生对环境工程师微生物学概念的理解和保留可以显著提高。这项综合研究和教育计划的目标是开发和验证定量微阵列，以同时检测环境样品中的数百种病原体，粪便指示细菌和微生物源跟踪标记。综合微阵列数据与粪便源分配的统计方法相结合将促进水保护科学的发展。快速、多目标的水质监测工具可以同时显示粪便污染源，从而提高我们提供高质量供水和再利用水的能力。在开发和测试该工具的过程中，提出的变革性研究将：1)将水微生物安全监测的重点重新放在病原体上，2)开发严格的方法来克服全基因组扩增偏差，3)开发定量微阵列，以及4)开发用于水中粪便污染源分配的统计方法。所提出的定量微阵列将有助于快速和敏感地确定各种介质（例如，水，处理过的废水和食品）中存在的传染性病原体。本文拟开展的研究议程包括：1)建立上游环境样品处理流程，实现核酸的可重复性、无偏浓缩、提取和扩增；2)开发环境样品核酸检测的定量微阵列和严格的质量控制方法；3)开发环境样品粪便污染源识别的统计方法。本文提出的教育议程将为环境工程师开发、测试和传播技术支持的、主动学习的基本微生物学概念模块。技术支持、学生主动学习模块的开发允许这些新工具及其背后的概念在多个层面上广泛传播给实践工程师、教育工作者和学生。首席研究员计划评估教学模块和管道的有效性，特别是对代表性不足的群体。随着NSF-REU的到位和部门资金的到位，教育部分的可行性很高。

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.