Research Projects

The increased prevalence among bacteria of resistance to antimicrobial drugs (antimicrobial resistance, or AMR) is a critical societal challenge that threatens human, environmental and agricultural health. When antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections are no longer effective, infections last longer and there is increased risk of death. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are ?hotspots? for AMR spread due to the enriched presence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance genes, and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Therefore, WWTPs are a unique system for mitigating AMR spread in the environment. This project investigates the role of different environmental factors, such as temperature, heavy metals, and other contaminants in the development of AMR.

The TOWER project aims to create resilient buildings capable of self-sustaining water supply and disposal in urban areas facing climate stress. Objectives include advancing water treatment tech for wastewater and stormwater reuse, designing efficient water vapor capture materials, and providing implementation guidance. Embracing the "One Water" concept, it fosters a climate-aware workforce through educational outreach. Using advanced techniques like mass spectrometry, the team will investigate water quality and develop smart oxidation processes. Novel polymers will facilitate efficient water vapor harvesting. International collaboration will drive global progress in water sustainability and resilience.

This research aims to develop anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) to eliminate Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from water, addressing their persistent and toxic nature. The project involves developing microbial cultures and characterizing PFAS transformation using advanced techniques. Success could lead to better understanding of PFAS degradation and its impact on toxicity, potentially offering low-cost PFAS treatment solutions. The project investigates the biodegradation of PFASs in AnMBRs, utilizing molecular biotechnological tools to understand reductive defluorination. Through multi-stage investigations, the research seeks to transform water treatment systems for legacy and emerging PFASs, with broader societal impacts including potential paradigm shifts in establishing PFAS health advisories.

Environmental contamination by PFASs poses significant public health risks due to their persistent and toxic nature. Biodegradation of PFASs is slow and incomplete, often resulting in the formation of still-toxic by-products. This research proposes an innovative remediation approach combining catalytic hybrid nanomaterials with enriched microbial communities to efficiently and completely destroy PFASs without toxic by-product formation. Multifunctional nanohybrids will catalyze defluorination and oxidation of PFASs, converting them to more biodegradable forms. Enriched microbial consortia will degrade PFASs, with metagenomic tools identifying responsible microorganisms and their functional characteristics. By-products will be characterized using advanced techniques, informing the design of efficient nano-enhanced bioremediation systems for complete PFAS degradation.

This project, funded through the "Signals in the Soil (SitS)" partnership between the National Science Foundation and USDA NIFA, addresses the need for inexpensive, long-term deployable sensors to monitor soil conditions in real-time. It aims to develop a buried sensor system powered by through-the-soil (TTS) transmission, capable of monitoring soil gas flows and providing insights into soil and plant health without disrupting farming operations. Collaborating institutions will enhance farmers' decision-making abilities, reducing waste and improving crop yield. Goals include developing chemically specific sensors, powering them via TTS transmission, and analyzing data to characterize soil health and inform agricultural practices. The project's outcomes promise transformative impacts across multiple fields.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is irrevocably linked across numerous environmental contexts. It is a multifaceted issue, entangling complex natural, biological, and social aspects that jointly determine risks associated with the presence and persistence of AMR.

Over 15.6 million kilograms of veterinary antimicrobials are sold yearly in the US alone for disease control and growth promotion of livestock.

Global access to clean, disease-free water is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Mounting population pressure requires expanded water reuse, which tightens linkages between wastewater and drinking water.

Modern dairy farms are one of the most important agricultural businesses in the U.S. and are known to use large amounts of antimicrobials for disease treatment and prevention.

The increasing use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in agriculture, energy production, environmental remediation, diagnostics, and biomedical applications1 has generated concerns regarding the potential impacts of ENMs on the environment and human health.

During the past decade both animal and human studies have supported an association between polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and neurobehavioral/neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly following in utero and postnatal exposure.

Our overall goal in this study is to evaluate the effect of manganese exposure focusing on the accumulation of manganese in ear and brain tissue and the effects accumulation has on other biologically relevant metals (copper, zinc, iron) as well as hearing loss.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of ubiquitous, recalcitrant chemicals commonly detected in drinking water sources and aquatic ecosystems.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals are an important indicator of environmental quality and ecosystem health. Metal detections and trends provide valuable insight in to environmental processes and changes in

The continued introduction of PFASs into the environment and their persistence, including the degradation products formed during advanced chemical treatment has raised public concern.

University at Buffalo’s (UB) goal is to optimize methods for the analysis of antimicrobials in soil, runoff water, and manure, to be used in the determination of the efficiency of antimicrobial mitigation by prairie strip integration.

Testing with the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) technique is a rising and still studying field in clinical applications. DBS is a blood sampling technique that places whole blood drops on specified filter paper for clinical purposes. Utilization of trace amount of blood for testing is the main advantage of this technique.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a broad class of human-made compounds manufactured since the 1950s that have been widely used in consumer products and industrial applications worldwide.

The degree of air pollution risk is measured by mass via passive air sampling collection via filters currently. The particulate matter (PM) collected from the air samples is weighed and the corresponding weight is used to establish the severity of the air pollution.