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Genome BC and Partners Provide Funding for $3.2 Million Watershed Research Project
Friday, March 23, 2012Company Profile | Follow Company
Vancouver, BC, March 23, 2012--(T-Net)--Genome BC, Genome Canada and other partners are providing funding for a new research project, “Applied Metagenomics of the Watershed Microbiome,” which aims to develop a better way to identify the presence of the fecal pollution in watersheds (which is indicated by the presence of E. coli bacteria), and provide new tools to track sources of water contamination. Over the next three years, the $3.2 million project will not only develop a prototype for more effective water testing, but also aims to fundamentally change the current paradigm of slow and often imprecise culture-based bacterial testing.
Current drinking water testing collects samples from the tap, rather than at the source watershed, and testing for bacteria contaminants such as E. coli, often takes more than two days to complete. If a water supply has been contaminated, this processing time is simply too long as the water would already have reached people's homes. Additionally, these tests do not always reflect contamination of water by non-bacterial pathogens such as parasites or viruses. By applying metagenomics, a much more robust method that can identify many pollutants at once, this research will improve current analysis methods by enabling faster testing at the watershed level. This simplified testing process will reduce days to hours, and provide profiles of all microbes present in a water sample rather than just E. coli bacteria.
Engaging in source water testing, rather than testing from the tap, will allow for more effective interventions in instances where contamination is found. Furthermore, with the microbial source-tracking tool that is being developed, the origin of the pollution can be identified quickly and then treated. By looking at all types of microbial pollution, the research will bypass the need to use E. coli as a baseline bacteria, as it is a poor indicator because it dies relatively quickly. Giardia, Cryptosporidium and other dangerous parasites can survive for months in cold water and currently there is no process for detecting them.
“This funding will allow us to develop methods for more effective source water testing,” says Dr. Patrick Tang, project co-leader. “The next step will be implementation, and we are confident that the prototype we are developing will ensure that safe, rapid water supply testing becomes a reality.” The BCCDC will be an early adopter of this testing method and the research project is partnering with the Canadian Water Network in the third year of the project to pilot the water-testing prototype in watersheds across Canada.
The project is addressing this significant challenge with a view to protecting not only Canadian water supplies, but also those around the world. There is more than just human lives at stake: entire ecosystems rely heavily on healthy water supplies.
“Clean drinking water is a fundamentally important global issue. Even in a developed nations, like ours, we need to better manage our water supply,” says Dr. Judith Isaac-Renton, project co-leader. “The tools we currently have at our disposal are simply inadequate. Through the work of the multidisciplinary team, substantial improvements to current water protection approaches will be realized. These new tools will go a long way towards water quality improvements.” More info about the project can be found at www.watersheddiscovery.ca.
“This project is addressing the vision we all have - clean water for the world,” says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. “This stellar team will address the needs of Canadians and beyond to ensure clean water for all is not only a vision but a reality.”
About Genome British Columbia:
Genome British Columbia is a catalyst for the life sciences cluster on Canada's West Coast, and manages a cumulative portfolio of over $550M in research projects and science and technology platforms. Working with governments, academia and industry across sectors such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, environment, bioenergy, mining and human health, the goal of the organization is to generate social and economic benefits for British Columbia and Canada. www.genomebc.ca
Contact:
Jennifer Boon
Communications Specialist, Genome BC
Cell: 778-327-8374
Email: jboon@genomebc.ca
Photo credit: Watershed Metagenomics
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