{"648191":{"#nid":"648191","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Kevin Zhu","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPh.D. Thesis Defense Announcement\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdvancing\u0026nbsp;Methods\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;Application\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Human\u0026nbsp;Mitochondrial\u0026nbsp;DNA\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;Fecal\u0026nbsp;Source\u0026nbsp;Tracking\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eby\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKevin Zhu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvisor(s):\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Joe\u0026nbsp;Brown\u0026nbsp;(CEE\u0026nbsp;\u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;UNC\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;Chapel Hill)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Konstantinos\u0026nbsp;T.\u0026nbsp;Konstantinidis\u0026nbsp;(CEE),\u0026nbsp;Dr.\u0026nbsp;Xing\u0026nbsp;Xie\u0026nbsp;(CEE),\u0026nbsp;Dr.\u0026nbsp;Christine\u0026nbsp;Stauber\u0026nbsp;(GSU),\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Dr.\u0026nbsp;Joel\u0026nbsp;Kostka (BIO)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate \u0026amp; Time:\u003C\/strong\u003E July\u0026nbsp;2,\u0026nbsp;2021\u0026nbsp;3:00\u0026nbsp;PM\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bluejeans.com\/927228461\/1179\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/bluejeans.com\/927228461\/1179\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Complete announcement, with abstract, is attached\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMitochondrial\u0026nbsp;DNA\u0026nbsp;(mtDNA)\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;shed\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;an\u0026nbsp;unambiguous\u0026nbsp;host-specific\u0026nbsp;indicator\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;origin\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;fecal\u0026nbsp;contamination\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;environment.\u0026nbsp;Human\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;offers\u0026nbsp;advantages\u0026nbsp;over\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;fecal\u0026nbsp;source\u0026nbsp;tracking\u0026nbsp;(FST)\u0026nbsp;markers\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;environmental\u0026nbsp;monitoring\u0026nbsp;because\u0026nbsp;it\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;highly\u0026nbsp;specific\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;humans\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;does\u0026nbsp;not\u0026nbsp;vary\u0026nbsp;across\u0026nbsp;geographies\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;populations\u0026nbsp;whereas\u0026nbsp;variability\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;gut\u0026nbsp;microbiome\u0026nbsp;suggests\u0026nbsp;limitations\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;application\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;markers.\u0026nbsp;Methods\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;quantification\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;mtDNA,\u0026nbsp;its\u0026nbsp;association\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;hazards\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;environmental\u0026nbsp;media,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;its\u0026nbsp;persistence\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;environment\u0026nbsp;compared\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;markers\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;important\u0026nbsp;unknowns\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;constrain\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;application\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;monitoring\u0026nbsp;tool.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nWe\u0026nbsp;developed\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;novel\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;FST\u0026nbsp;assay,\u0026nbsp;hCYTB484,\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;droplet\u0026nbsp;digital\u0026nbsp;polymerase\u0026nbsp;chain\u0026nbsp;reaction\u0026nbsp;(ddPCR)\u0026nbsp;platform.\u0026nbsp;Using\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;US,\u0026nbsp;Mozambique,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Bangladesh\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;well\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;sewage\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;animal\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;US,\u0026nbsp;we\u0026nbsp;demonstrated\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;hCYTB484\u0026nbsp;is\u0026nbsp;highly\u0026nbsp;human-specific\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;highly\u0026nbsp;sensitive\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;geographically\u0026nbsp;distant\u0026nbsp;regions.\u0026nbsp;We\u0026nbsp;also\u0026nbsp;investigated\u0026nbsp;concentrations\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;hCYTB484\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;individuals\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;without\u0026nbsp;norovirus\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;diarrhea,\u0026nbsp;finding\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;hCYTB484\u0026nbsp;concentrations\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;elevated\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;from\u0026nbsp;individuals\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;both\u0026nbsp;norovirus\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;diarrhea\u0026nbsp;compared\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;those\u0026nbsp;without.\u0026nbsp;These\u0026nbsp;results\u0026nbsp;highlight\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;potential\u0026nbsp;candidate\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;evaluation\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;association\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;risk\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;illness\u0026nbsp;through\u0026nbsp;exposure\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;waters\u0026nbsp;contaminated\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;fecal\u0026nbsp;waste.\u0026nbsp;Finally,\u0026nbsp;we\u0026nbsp;simulated\u0026nbsp;fecal\u0026nbsp;pollution\u0026nbsp;events\u0026nbsp;using\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;feces\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;sewage\u0026nbsp;diluted\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;freshwater,\u0026nbsp;quantifying\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;FST\u0026nbsp;markers\u0026nbsp;over\u0026nbsp;14\u0026nbsp;days.\u0026nbsp;We\u0026nbsp;found\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;differential\u0026nbsp;persistence\u0026nbsp;emerged\u0026nbsp;between\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;markers,\u0026nbsp;suggesting\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;detection\/non-detection\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;quantitative\u0026nbsp;relationships\u0026nbsp;between\u0026nbsp;these\u0026nbsp;different\u0026nbsp;markers\u0026nbsp;may\u0026nbsp;provide\u0026nbsp;information\u0026nbsp;about\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;source\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;age\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;fecal\u0026nbsp;pollution.\u0026nbsp;These\u0026nbsp;results\u0026nbsp;demonstrate\u0026nbsp;how\u0026nbsp;human\u0026nbsp;mtDNA\u0026nbsp;markers\u0026nbsp;may\u0026nbsp;contribute\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;FST\u0026nbsp;field\u0026nbsp;by\u0026nbsp;complementing\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;shortcomings\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;current\u0026nbsp;widely\u0026nbsp;used\u0026nbsp;microbial\u0026nbsp;markers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Advancing Methods for the Application of Human Mitochondrial DNA in Fecal Source Tracking"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2021-06-17 18:10:37","changed_gmt":"2021-06-17 18:40:00","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2021-07-02T16:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2021-07-02T17:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2021-07-02T17:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2021-07-02 20:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2021-07-02 21:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2021-07-02 21:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"78771","name":"Public"},{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate 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