Membrane diffusion cells for in-situ monitoring of bacterial gene expression

The researchers are seeking to develop a system for monitoring bacterial gene expression in response to signals from the natural environment using a blend of membrane diffusion cell, genomics and optical detection technologies. We will develop and test a system for monitoring of Vibrio cholerae, beginning with field experiments in the San Francisco Bay. The results will serve as a foundation for a proposal to the National Institutes of Health for a long-term field scale study in Bangladesh. The developed technology should enable monitoring of genes of many microorganisms of environmental significance and will form the foundation of a novel environmental sensing technology for accurate measurements of classes of contaminants and environmental conditions.

Principal Investigators:

Gary Schoolnik Professor of Medicine (infectious diseases), Emertius

Alexandria Boehm Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment

Chris Contag Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology), Emeritus

Craig Criddle Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment