CAREER: Cleaner Water Through Microbial Stress: An Integrated Research and Education Plan

地表水和地下水中的痕量有机化合物(TORCs)在万亿分之一的浓度下对人类和生态健康构成了威胁。最近的水调查显示，Torc污染很普遍，由于干旱地区对有限供水的需求增加，预计这种对饮用水的威胁将会增加。由于修复受污染的水是具有挑战性和昂贵的，这项研究的目标是从根本上了解微生物压力如何影响Torcs的自然降解。这项研究的结果应该应用于管理的自然系统的治疗。本研究计划的目标是以亚硝胺为模型化合物，确定酶表达、微生物胁迫和TORC降解之间的相关性，B)探索这些发现与土壤屏障中本地微生物组合的相关性，以及C)调查微生物胁迫在其他TORC生物降解中的更广泛作用。目标将通过一系列跨学科的实验来实现，这些实验将从基本的纯菌株研究扩展到更多的异质和生物多样性的土壤系统。在更广泛的影响方面，研究工作将与旨在增加学生对环境科学和工程的参与度和多样性的教育计划相结合。该教育计划的目标是通过客户？客户？提高环境工程本科学生的学习效果。与当地一个非营利性分水岭组织进行互动，并提供模块，让处于风险中的中学生与K-12教师和科学研究人员一起参与与环境水质有关的项目。一门非传统的、以实地为基础的本科课程，重点是对废弃采矿作业的评估和补救，将使学生能够参与区域环境问题的解决方案，并看到他们的发现的实施情况。同样，K-12教师主导的互动式单元将使高危青年与大学研究人员接触，同时将区域水质主题纳入课程要求。将对学生进行跟踪，并对涉及学生、教师、外部教育工作者和非营利组织的教育活动进行多方面的评估。通过进一步开发新一代可管理的自然处理技术，促进我们对Torcs生物降解的基本了解，从而造福社会。这项工作可能导致新的工艺，以加强对极低浓度有机污染物的自然生物降解。

Trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in surface and groundwater present human and ecological health concerns at parts-per-trillion concentrations. Recent water surveys have revealed that TOrC contamination is widespread, and this threat to potable water is expected to grow through increased demands on finite water supplies in arid regions. Since remediation of contaminated waters is challenging and expensive, the goal of this research is to gain a fundamental understanding of how microbial stress can impact the natural degradation of TOrCs. Results from this study should have application to treatment in managed natural systems. Objectives of this research plan are to A) determine the correlation between enzyme expression, microbial stress, and TOrC degradation using nitrosamines as a model compound, B) explore the relevance of these findings toward indigenous microbial assemblages in soil barriers and C) investigate the broader role of microbial stress in biodegradation of other TOrCs. Objectives will be addressed through a suite of interdisciplinary experiments that will be scaled from fundamental pure strain studies to more heterogeneous and biodiverse soil systems.In terms of the broader impacts, research efforts will be coupled with an educational plan designed to increase the engagement and diversity of students in environmental science and engineering. The objectives of the educational plan are to improve learning outcomes of undergraduate environmental engineering students through ?client? interactions with a local nonprofit watershed group and to deliver modules that engage at-risk middle school students with K-12 teachers and scientific researchers in projects relating to environmental water quality. A nontraditional, field-based undergraduate course that focuses on the assessment and remediation of abandoned mining operations will enable students to become involved in solutions to regional environmental problems and see the implementation of their findings. Similarly, interactive K-12 teacher-driven modules will engage at-risk youth with collegiate researchers while integrating regional water quality themes into curricular requirements. Student tracking and a multi-faceted assessment of educational activities that involve students, instructors, external educators, and nonprofit organizations will be conducted. Advancing our fundamental understanding of the biodegradation of TOrCs benefits society by furthering the development of a new generation of managed natural treatment technologies. This work may lead to novel processes for the enhancement of natural biodegradation of extremely low concentrations of organic pollutants.