CAREER: Developing a Spatial-Temporal Predictive Framework for the Drinking Water Microbiome.

每加仑的饮用水都含有数百万的微生物，这些微生物被称为饮用水微生物群。自来水公司在供水系统中进行广泛的监测，以确保饮用水微生物群在从水处理厂到家庭水龙头的过程中保持安全。虽然这些监测措施是为早期发现微生物污染而设计的，但任何试图解决监测发现的问题的尝试都是反动的。该项目旨在彻底改变美国现行的“检测和缓解”的饮用水监测系统，向“预测和纠正”的主动监测系统转变。该项目旨在开发一个计算机模型，该模型将允许水务公司预测未来的微生物污染事件，从而在污染事件发生之前提供预防的机会。与研究活动相结合的是一个教育项目，包括对K-12、本科生和研究生进行最先进的微生物组表征和解释的培训，以吸引他们从事STEM职业。该教育计划的目标是培养未来具有微生物组研究和实践专业知识的水科学家和工程师。职业发展计划将通过将实验和计算微生物生态学整合到饮用水微生物组研究中，并通过教育和外展利用这一研究来吸引不同的学生群体参与微生物组研究和实践，从而促进饮用水的安全和健康。本项目的研究目标是：(1)建立一个长期观测站，以监测波士顿饮用水微生物群的高分辨率动态。(2)建立一个新的框架，将计量经济学和生态学模型应用于这些动态；(3)系统地整合两种建模方法，对饮用水微生物群的丰度和组成进行全面的时空预测。该研究计划结合了最先进的综合分析和新颖的建模方法，以开发饮用水微生物组的定量预测框架。该预测框架将(1)帮助水务公司先发制人地估计和消除未来的饮用水微生物风险，(2)为基于模型的饮用水微生物群定量管理提供基础知识。该研究与一项教育和推广计划相结合，旨在(1)利用旨在提高代表性不足的少数群体学生参与STEM研究的教学方法，吸引和培养从事微生物组研究和实践的本科生和研究生，以及(2)通过K-12倡议提高公众对饮用水微生物组的认识。这些目标将通过与温特沃斯理工学院和韦尔斯利学院合作，采用基于课程的本科研究经验（CUREs）方法，开发环境工程领域以微生物组为重点的创新课程，并通过东北大学STEM教育中心为波士顿地区的学生开展K-12学习活动来实现。该项目将促进饮用水研究界和以微生物组为中心的饮用水质量管理界的共同愿景。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Every gallon of drinking water contains millions of microbes that are referred to as the drinking water microbiome. Water utilities perform extensive monitoring in the water distribution system to ensure that the drinking water microbiome remains safe as it travels from the water treatment plant to the household tap. Although these monitoring practices are designed for early detection of microbial contamination, any attempt to fix a problem identified by monitoring will be inherently reactionary. This project seeks to revolutionize the current United States drinking water monitoring system of "detect and mitigate" towards a proactive one of "predict and correct". This project aims to develop a computer model that will allow water utilities to predict future microbial contamination events across the water distribution system, thus providing an opportunity to prevent contamination events before they occur. Integrated with the research activities will be an education program that includes training of K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students in state-of-the-art microbiome characterization and interpretation to attract them to STEM careers. The goal of this education program will be to prepare future water scientists and engineers with expertise in microbiome research and practice.The career development plan will advance the safety and health of drinking water by integrating experimental and computational microbial ecology into drinking water microbiome research and by leveraging this research through education and outreach to engage a diverse student body in microbiome research and practice. The research goals of this project are (1) to establish a long-term observatory to monitor high-resolution drinking water microbiome dynamics in Boston?s water distribution system, (2) to develop a novel framework to apply econometric and ecological models to these dynamics, and (3) to systematically integrate the two modeling approaches for comprehensive spatial-temporal forecasting of the abundance and composition of the drinking water microbiome. The research plan combines state-of-the-art integrated analyses and novel modeling approaches to develop a quantitative predictive framework for the drinking water microbiome. This predictive framework will (1) help water utilities preemptively estimate and eliminate future drinking water microbial risks, and (2) serve as foundational knowledge for model-informed quantitative management of the drinking water microbiome. This research is integrated with an education and outreach plan designed to (1) attract and train undergraduate and graduate students in microbiome research and practice, using pedagogical approaches designed to enhance participation of students from underrepresented minority groups in STEM research, and (2) raise public awareness of the drinking-water microbiome through K-12 initiatives. The objectives will be accomplished by developing innovative microbiome-focused curricula in environmental engineering using a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) approach in collaboration with Wentworth Institute of Technology and Wellesley College and a K-12 learning activity for Boston area students through the Center for STEM Education at Northeastern University. The project will advance the shared aspirational vision of the drinking water research community and the microbiome-centric drinking water quality management community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.