CAREER: Impact of Biofilms on the Fate and Transport of Cryptosporidium spp. Oocysts in Open Channel and Porous Media Flow

Jellison 0545687拟议的工作将调查隐孢子虫属物种如何。卵囊与生物膜相互作用，在各种环境条件下，在开放通道和多孔介质流，以及这些相互作用如何影响卵囊运输和感染性。受控实验室实验将在流动通道和填充床反应器中进行，以确定生物膜存在的环境中卵囊运输的重要物理，化学和生物学方面。扫描共聚焦激光显微镜将被用来非破坏性地监测生物膜生长的流动通道，这些生物膜内的卵囊的空间分布将与荧光原位杂交分析。通过DAPI/PI染色评估悬浮和生物膜相关卵囊的活力，并通过体外细胞培养评估感染性。实验室实验将研究生物膜对卵囊的保护作用，卵囊表面电荷和疏水性对生物膜附着的影响，以及C。parvum和C.鼠卵囊与生物膜的相互作用。更广泛的影响。实验室研究、残疾人实地研究和EWB活动将保护当地和全球的公共卫生。虽然生物膜现场工作的直接受益者是当地的PWD客户，但研究结果可以应用于各种流域和生物膜系统，将这项工作的影响扩展到几乎任何水处理系统，娱乐用水供应或地下水含水层。此外，还将在利哈伊社区、当地中学生和公众中提高对全球水和健康问题的认识。多学科EWB项目将为国际教育提供一种模式，可供其他大学效仿，以增加具有国际责任感的美国工程专业学生的数量，并在发展中国家获得实践经验。EWB项目的组成部分将被纳入大学课程以及当地中学的课程材料，为代表性不足，经济不景气的人口服务。中学生将参与（i）水质和水处理方面的实验室和实地实践活动，（ii）从各个学科的角度讨论全球公民意识，（iii）与洪都拉斯的学生进行文化交流。洪都拉斯的中小学生也将受益于安全用水和卫生设施方面的课程，以及与美国学生同行的文化交流。拟议工作的结果将通过新闻稿、研讨会、技术期刊论文和专业会议报告广泛传播给科学界和公众。

Jellison 0545687 The proposed work will investigate how Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts interact with biofilms, under various environmental conditions in both open channel and porous media flow, and how these interactions impact oocyst transport and infectivity. Controlled laboratory experiments will be performed in flow channel and packed bed reactors to identify important physical, chemical, and biological aspects of oocyst transport in environments where biofilms are present. Scanning confocal laser microscopy will be used to nondestructively monitor biofilm growth in flow channels, and the spatial distribution of oocysts within these biofilms will be analyzed with fluorescent in situ hybridization. Suspended and biofilm-associated oocysts will be assessed for viability by DAPI/PI staining and infectivity by in vitro cell culture. Laboratory experiments will investigate the protection afforded to oocysts by biofilms, the impact of oocyst surface charge and hydrophobicity on biofilm attachment, and differences between C. parvum and C. muris oocyst interactions with biofilms.Broader Impacts. Protection of public health, both locally and globally, will result from the laboratory studies, PWD field study, and EWB activities. While the immediate beneficiaries of the biofilm field work are local PWD customers, the research findings can be applied to a variety of watersheds and biofilm systems, extending the impact of this work to almost any water treatment system, recreational water supply, or groundwater aquifer. Furthermore, an awareness of global water and health issues will be promoted among the Lehigh community, local middle school students, and the general public. The multidisciplinary EWB projects will provide a model for international education that can be emulated by other universities to increase the number of internationally-responsible U.S. engineering students with hands-on experience in the developing world. Components of EWB projects will be incorporated into university curriculum as well as course material in a local middle school serving an underrepresented, economically depressed population. Middle school students will engage in (i) hands-on laboratory and field activities in water quality and treatment, (ii) discussions about global citizenship from the perspective of various academic disciplines, and (iii) cultural exchanges with student peers in Honduras.Elementary and high school students in Honduras will also benefit from lessons in safe water and sanitation, as well as cultural exchanges with student peers in the U.S. Findings from the proposed work will be broadly disseminated to the scientific community, as well as the general public, through news releases, seminars, technical journal papers, and professional conference presentations.