A5005731611- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Gut microbiota and health
- Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Listeria monocytogenes in Food Safety
- Fecal contamination and water quality
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Water Treatment and Disinfection
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- COVID-19 diagnosis using AI
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Dental Research and COVID-19
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Food Safety and Hygiene
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
University of California, San Diego
2020-2025
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
2020-2025
Université de Sherbrooke
2022-2024
University of Maryland, College Park
2014-2023
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
2013-2020
United States Food and Drug Administration
2013-2015
Research to understand and control microbiological risks associated with the consumption of fresh fruits vegetables has examined many environments in farm fork continuum. An important data gap however, that remains poorly studied is baseline description microflora may be plant anatomy either endemically or response environmental pressures. Specific anatomical niches plants contribute persistence human pathogens agricultural ways we have yet describe. Tomatoes been implicated outbreaks...
The consumption of fresh tomatoes has been linked to numerous food-borne outbreaks involving various serovars Salmonella enterica. Recent advances in our understanding plant-microbe interactions have shown that human enteric pathogenic bacteria, including S. enterica, are adapted survive the plant environment. In this study, tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom) grown sandy loam soil from Virginia's eastern shore (VES) were inoculated with enterica evaluate plausible...
Mangrove ecosystems provide important ecological benefits and ecosystem services, including carbon storage coastline stabilization, but they also suffer great anthropogenic pressures. Microorganisms associated with mangrove sediments the rhizosphere play key roles in this make essential contributions to its productivity budget. Understanding nexus moving from descriptive studies of microbial taxonomy hypothesis-driven field lab will facilitate a mechanistic understanding interaction webs...
Virginia is the third largest producer of fresh-market tomatoes in United States. Tomatoes grown along eastern shore are implicated almost yearly Salmonella illnesses. Traceback implicates contamination occurring pre-harvest environment. To get a better understanding ecological niches tomato agricultural environment, two-year study was undertaken at regional research farm Virginia. Environmental samples, including (fruit, blossoms and leaves), irrigation water, surface water sediment, were...
Irrigation water contaminated with Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes may provide a route of contamination raw or minimally processed fruits vegetables. While previous work has surveyed specific singular types agricultural irrigation for bacterial pathogens, few studies have simultaneously different sources repeatedly over an extended period time. This study quantified S. L. levels (MPN/L) at 6 sites, including river waters: tidal freshwater (MA04, n = 34), non-tidal river,...
SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Viruses exist in complex microbial environments, and recent studies have revealed both synergistic antagonistic effects of specific bacterial taxa on viral prevalence infectivity. We set out to test whether communities predict occurrence a hospital setting.We collected 972 samples from hospitalized patients with COVID-19, their health care providers, surfaces before, during, after admission. screened...
The microbiome of the built environment comprises bacterial, archaeal, fungal, and viral communities associated with human-made structures. Even though most these microbes are benign, antibiotic-resistant pathogens can colonize emerge indoors, creating infection risk through surface transmission or inhalation. Several studies have catalogued microbial composition ecology in different types. These informed vitro that seek to replicate physicochemical features promote pathogenic survival...
Background & aimsNormal gestation involves a reprogramming of the maternal gut microbiome (GM) that contributes to metabolic changes by unclear mechanisms. This study aimed understand mechanistic underpinnings GM—maternal metabolism interaction.MethodsThe GM and plasma metabolome CD1, NIH-Swiss, C57 mice were analyzed with use 16S rRNA sequencing untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry throughout gestation. Pharmacologic genetic knockout mouse models used identify role indoleamine...
Oysters play an important role in coastal ecology and are a globally popular seafood source. However, their filter-feeding lifestyle enables pathogens, toxins, pollutants to accumulate tissues, potentially endangering human health. While pathogen concentrations waters often linked environmental conditions runoff events, these do not always correlate with oysters. Additional factors related the microbial of pathogenic bacteria relationship oyster hosts likely accumulation but poorly...
Abstract Aquaculture is responsible for producing almost half of the world’s seafood. As global climate changes and population continues to increase, we must prepare increased disease in aquatic animals, a risk compounded by high-density aquafarms that are necessary keep up with demand. This review will highlight major microbial threats aquaculture current alternative solutions these consideration accessibility proposed solutions. Molluscs ideal sustainable because they require less inputs...
Abstract Understanding weather-related drivers of crop plant-microbiome relationships is important for food security and safety in the face a changing climate. Cucumber tomato are commercially commodities that susceptible to plant disease have been implicated foodborne outbreaks. To investigate influence precipitation on plant-associated microbiomes, epiphytically associated bacterial communities cucumber samples were profiled by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing (V1-V3) days surrounding two rain...
Recently, tomatoes have been implicated as a primary vehicle in food-borne outbreaks of Salmonella enterica serovar Newport and other serovars. Long-term intervention measures to reduce prevalence on remain elusive for growing postharvest environments. A naturally occurring bacterium identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing Paenibacillus alvei was isolated epiphytically from plants native the Virginia Eastern Shore tomato-growing region. After initial antimicrobial activity screening against...
As climate change continues to stress freshwater resources, we have a pressing need identify alternative (nontraditional) sources of microbially safe water for irrigation fresh produce. This study is part the center CONSERVE, which aims facilitate adoption adequate agricultural sources. A 26-month longitudinal was conducted at 11 sites assess prevalence bacteria indicating quality, fecal contamination, and crop contamination risk (Escherichia coli, total coliforms [TC], Enterococcus,...
ABSTRACT The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a site of replication severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and GI symptoms are often reported by patients. SARS-CoV-2 cell entry depends upon heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans, which commensal bacteria that bathe the human mucosa known to modify. To explore gut HS-modifying bacterial abundances how their presence may impact infection, we developed task-based analysis proteoglycan degradation on large-scale shotgun...
Agricultural ponds have a great potential as means of capture and storage water for irrigation. However, pond topography (small size, shallow depth) leaves them susceptible to environmental, agricultural, anthropogenic exposures that may influence microbial dynamics. Therefore, the aim this project was characterize bacterial viral communities in Mid-Atlantic United States with focus on late season (October-December), where decreasing temperature nutrient levels can affect composition...
Abstract Background Determining the role of fomites in transmission SARS-CoV-2 is essential hospital setting and will likely be important outside medical facilities as governments around world make plans to ease COVID-19 public health restrictions attempt safely reopen economies. Expanding testing include environmental surfaces would ideally performed with inexpensive swabs that could transported without concern being a source new infections. However, CDC-approved clinical-grade sampling...
Gastrointestinal disease is a leading cause of morbidity in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under managed care. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) holds promise as therapeutic tool to restore gut without antibiotic use. This prospective clinical study aimed develop screening protocol for FMT donors ensure safety, determine an effective administration dolphins, and evaluate the efficacy FMTs four recipient dolphins.