04 - Follow That Flush: Using Biotechnology for Early Disease Detection
Introduction Want to learn more about disease detection? If so, join us to explore the use of wastewater testing in public health. Students use PCR and electrophoresis to test simulated water samples, gain- ing real-world insight into how this innovative technique helps monitor pathogens and protect communities. Background Information When we think about monitoring the spread of infectious diseases, we often think about hospitals, clinics, and laboratories where professionals test and diagnose patients, reporting results to public health agencies. However, sometimes we need to monitor disease spread in a population without testing every person. Scientists have developed a powerful way to track community health through wastewater analysis. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) detects bacteria and viruses in sew- age and provides early warning signs of outbreaks, allowing control measures to be implemented. Wastewater is discharged from homes, businesses, industries, and farms. It includes human waste, water from sinks, showers, and toilets, and runoff from streets. Before release into the environment, it is treated at specialized facilities to remove contaminants. Because microorgan- isms are shed by sick individuals and enter the sewage system, pathogens can be detected before the community shows symptoms. This method has tracked SARS-CoV-2, polio, norovirus, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Figure 1). In this experiment, we will explore the techniques used to analyze wastewater and the impact of this research on public health. By examining what is flushed down toilets and drains, scientists can assess the health of large populations without requiring individual medical tests. HOW WASTEWATER TESTING WORKS
The first step is to col - lect samples from key points in the sewage system. Samples may be collected manu- ally or with automated systems that take continuous samples. Once collected, they are sent to laboratories, where scientists identify bacteria and viruses.
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Culture-based methods place wastewater on se- lective media that allow only certain bacteria to grow. For example, coliform bacteria cause a color change in special media, indicating
Figure 1: The steps of wastewater treatment
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