Legionella sequencing in tap water and clinical isolates from Flint, MI

So this was a very interesting paper to be involved in.  On the one hand all our lab really did was to facilitate some genome sequencing and help with the assemblies, validation of those assemblies, and some genomics work.   Standard fare for the lab.  But… these were over 100 Legionella pneumophila isolates collected from either …

Alleged mishandling of Flint Legionnaire’s outbreak leads to manslaughter charges for MI health chief

This is a pretty big deal. Nick Lyon is the highest-ranking state official to be charged in the crisis. Source: Flint Water Crisis: Michigan Health Chief Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter : NPR The director of the Department of HHS in Michigan, Nick Lyon, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in relation to the Flint, MI …

New paper of interest on antibiotic resistance genes in 4 CA cities but dangerous PR from UCLA

This new paper may be of interest: Source: Disparate Antibiotic Resistance Gene Quantities Revealed across 4 Major Cities in California: A Survey in Drinking Water, Air, and Soil at 24 Public Parks – ACS Omega (ACS Publications) Abstract: Widespread prevalence of multidrug and pandrug-resistant bacteria has prompted substantial concern over the global dissemination of antibiotic …

Of possible interest: Special Issue on emerging aquatic microbial and chemical contaminants 

Just a quick post here.  There is a “special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).” that may be of interest.  The issue is on “Emerging Aquatic Microbial and Chemical Contaminants of Concern and Their Impact on Human Health” and it currently has seven papers and apparently more coming. A brief …

#microBEnet News: @kylejbibby receives @NSF CAREER award to study viruses in water

Just found out via Twitter about a cool new grant that was awarded: Congrats to Kyle Bibby @kylejbibby on this NSF grant!#microbenet @SloanFoundation https://t.co/x1slHgygdT — Paula Olsiewski (@polsiewski) March 1, 2017   Through a five-year, $500,000 CAREEER Award from the National Science Foundation, a civil and environmental engineering research group at the University of Pittsburgh’s …

Upcoming National Academies Study on Legionella in Drinking Water Systems

Just got this from the a representative of the National Academy of Sciences who asked me to post here. UPDATED June 13, 2017 (based on email from NAS) Scope of work: An ad hoc committee of The National Academies will review the state of science with respect to Legionella contamination of water systems and issue …