Molecular markers link Vibrio cholerae hazards in the Akaki catchment to human sewage pollution. 0.6-20% of fecal coliforms in the rivers of the catchment had ESBL producing antibiotic resistance traits. Hazards were highest in the dry season when river water is used for irrigation. Read our paper in Science of the Total Environment.
Tag Archives: #GCRF
Metal exposure of residents in the Akaki catchment
Sometimes you find the opposite of your hypothesis. Despite of the river pollution from domestic, industrial, and commercial activities in Addis Ababa, higher metal levels were found in nails of residents living in the upstream rather than the downstream area of the Akaki river catchment. Excellent work led by Dr Dessie and colleagues in Ethiopia.
Kishor wins an award from the National Academy of Science and Technology, Nepal.
Congratulations to Kishor Acharya, Kalyan Pantha, and colleagues in Nepal on receiving an award from the National Academy of Science and Technology, Nepal, for our MinION paper in Scientific Reports.
Faecal pollution source tracking in Nepal with our suitcase laboratory for molecular water microbiology
Excellent fieldwork led by Kishor Acharya with colleagues in Nepal successfully demonstrated the application of our suitcase laboratory in a low income country. Kishor and his colleagues used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and SourceTracker analysis to demonstrate how microbial communities in the downstream part of the Bagmati river were mainly contributed by untreated sewage. Read the paper in Clean Water.
Multi-drug resistant bacteria in Malaysian River correlate with faecal pollution indicators
From training into practice: Our collaborators at NUMed in Malaysia have published a paper showing that surrogate markers, such dissolved oxygen, Bacteroides and Prevotella abundances estimated from MinION sequencing data, and the rodA qPCR assay for total E. coli, can identify locations on a river that deserve immediate attention to mitigate AMR spread through improved waste management.
Water System Sustainability Analysis
Jian Zang published a paper on an innovative decentralized water system in India which utilized rainwater harvesting and zero wastewater discharge to locally (re)generate 39% of the water needed for a higher education institution with student and staff accommodation.
Akaki River Catchment Video
Chlorination effects on DNA based characterization of water microbiomes and implications for the interpretation of data from disinfected systems
Kishor, with our colleagues in Tanzania, has published an article in the Journal of Environmental Management showing that DNA fragments are much more resilient under chlorination than intact cells or culturable bacteria. Consequently, complementary plate count methods remain essential for the correct interpretation of molecular data for disinfected waters. An important insight gained from the IMAGINE project.
Water quality lab in a suitcase
We have assembled small equipment items into a water quality lab that fits into a suitcase. The suitcase lab enables 16S rRNA gene amplicon based characterization of millions of bacteria in water samples, almost anywhere in the world. A fantastic outcome of our collaboration with colleagues in Ethiopia.