It was a pleasure to meet Franella and Mgana at the flow cytometry workshop organized by Marta Vignola at Glasgow University. We heard an excellent series of talks and tomorrow Franella will participate in the practical training.

Following on from the molecular microbiology training at Newcastle University, Adrian Blackburn and I visited KMUTT to help researchers with MinION sequencing of aquaculture microbiomes in their own laboratory. We also attended an international workshop and met researchers from different parts of Thailand. I love these beautifully hand-written notes on Newton Fund and British Council paper.

We successfully characterized the microbiomes of water samples at the inlets and outlets of wetlands which are polishing a mixture of wastewater treatment plant effluent and minewater using our portable laboratory for next generation 16S rRNA gene amplicion sequencing. The field experiment was part of our training of visiting PGR students from IIT Gandhinagar.

Team outside the mobile laboratory

This month we have the pleasure of hosting Kaling Taki and Bhagwana Ram from IIT Gandhinagar. They are learning molecular microbiology methods, first here in the Cassie Lab and next week at the BEWISE wastewater treatment research facility.

Dr Sawannee Sutheeworapong, Ms. Pavinee Patanachan, Ms. Rattikan Neamchan, and Ms. Thunchanok Thongsamerrattikan from KMUTT in Thailand visited us to be trained in molecular microbiology, including next generation sequencing with the MinION.

I had a wonderful time getting to know other water researchers at the Kohn-IASH Workshop: Ensuring water safety in a changing climate by enhanced water and wastewater treatment, organized by the Royal Society at Chicheley Hall, home of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre.

This Wednesday we field-tested our portable water quality laboratory, which includes the MinION for sequencing environmental DNA, at Cockle Park farm. It was a success. The photo shows Kishor Acharya and Adrian Blackburn at the end of the day when we returned to the Cassie Building, with the labtop and MinION on the back seat already generating tens of thousands of reads to characterize the microbiome of water samples.

Prof Kumar inspects the National Green Infrastructure Facility, and the Propelair toilets

This week we have the pleasure of hosting Professor Manish Kumar from IIT Gandhinagar. Together we had a look at Newcastle’s unique Urban Water Infrastructure Research facilities, which include the rainwater harvesting systems in the Devonshire and Urban Sciences Building, the National Green Infrastructure Facilities with our biochar amended lysimeters, the ultra-low water use Propelair toilets, and the Urban Observatory.

It’s great getting to know the new GCRF Water Security and Sustainability Hub partners and their research at the Pre-Launch workshop.

I am excited to be part of the £20 million Global Water Security Hub led by Newcastle University, and involving partners from Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Malaysia, the UK, and the International Water Management Institute.