Microbiology of water related to the health (MARS)

1.    Improvement of methodologies.


The constant evolution of the genomic methods and the greater knowledge of the intestinal microorganisms, and therefore the appearance of indicators perhaps better than the present ones, cause that it is necessary to improve the methodological aproaches.

1.1. Application of genomic techniques in the study of health-related water Microbiology. This area includes two aspects: a) Quantitative application of PCR to detect pathogens (adenovirus, E. coli O157, Cryptosporidium) and indicators (Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides) in samples with complex matrices with a lower number of units. b) metagenomical approaches (DGGE and later sequencing) for the identification and the detection of some bacteria (Vibrio, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides) of difficult or complex culture.
1.2. Real-time detection of microorganisms. Development of methods for a real-time detection of the indicator “somatic coliphages” as a tool for the management of treatment plants and water treatments process based on the ARCPC principles (Analysis of Risk of Critical Points Control).
1.3. Availability of specific host strains for the enumeration of bacteriophages. Search of host strains that allow detecting the faecal pollution of those species with greater contribution of pollution in our territory (cows, pig and birds) with a procedure which we have developed recently to isolate host strains of Bacteroides to detect faecal pollution of human origin.
1.4. Normalization and standardization. MARS participates in international networks to standardize methods


2.    Basic Microbiology of pathogens and enteric microorganisms.


2.1. Interactions bacteriophages and enteric bacteria. Enlarging the comprehension of two phenomena: a) the importance of the horizontal transfer of genes related to virulence, and perhaps of genes of resistance to antibiotics, of enteric bacteria (contribution with the Spanish network COLIRED-O157); b) the importance of the bacteriophages in the regulation of the densities of enteric bacteria.
2.2. Mechanisms of regulation by quorum sensing. Evaluation of the importance of the autoinducers related to quorum sensing systems in selective mechanisms of recognition of bacteria by the intestinal host cells (Vibrio, Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides), and the potential role of these mechanisms in the settlement of these bacteria.
2.3. Survival and disinfection.  Survival of different pathogens and indicators in the natural environment, and in disinfection processes to predict and to quantify risks, and to use traditional indicators and faecal pollution source indicators in the elaboration of predictive models.

3.    Studies of prevalence


The studies of prevalence are carried out considering: a) pathogens, with special attention to the emerging pathogens that are waterborne transmitted, and the indicators in faeces of different origins, raw wastewaters and purified surface water, groundwater, biosolids and food in contact with contaminated water. b) microbial indicators of the origin of the faecal pollution.

4.    Molecular Epidemiology.


The studies of molecular epidemiology are carried out with some of the pathogens, mainly viruses, of the ones that the prevalence has been studied.

5.    Alternative microbial indicators.


Study of the potential utility of alternative indicators to the present (coliphages) and of the use of genomic techniques to detect pathogens in the validation and monitoring of wastewater processing, attending above all to advanced processing of new technologies (UV, microfiltration and ultrafiltration, inverse osmosis) and in the processes of sanitation of sewage sludge, that will be necessary its implementation when the new EU regulation come into force.