New Project in Microbiology of the Built Environment: Kyle Bibby

The Sloan Program in the Microbiology of the Built Environment awarded a few new grants this spring.   The first of these was to Kyle Bibby at the University of Pittsburgh called “Microbial Ecology Dynamics of Hospital Premise Plumbing Following the Introduction of an On-Site Monochloramine Disinfection System”.  The project is being conducted in collaboration with Janet Stout (also at University of Pittsburgh), the description is below:

“This work aims to describe the shift in microbial diversity and community structure within a hospital hot-water system upon the introduction of on-site monochloramine disinfection. Drinking water distribution systems, including premise plumbing of buildings, contain a diverse microbiological population. Proposed ASHRAE Legionella standards will likely result in a significant increase in the use of on-site water disinfection systems in a diverse array of buildings, with unknown impact on the microbial ecology of the premise plumbing. To date, the majority of on-site disinfection systems have been installed in hospitals, creating a valuable testing ground to observe the impact of on-site disinfection systems on microbial ecology prior to wide application. To gain a better understanding of the shift in microbial ecology introduced by monochloramine disinfection, this study will characterize the microbial populations within the hospital system by sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene isolated from samples collected over a period covering two months before and six months following disinfection system implementation. Specific questions include the impact of the disinfection system on the bacterial alpha diversity of the system, and the abundance of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOBs) following the introduction of onsite disinfection.”