Date of Graduation
Fall 2009
Degree
Master of Science in Biology
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
John Steiert
Abstract
Microbial source tracking (MST) is a general term given to any process which aims to determine the source of microbial contamination found in an environmental (usually water) sample. These methods include both phenotypic and genotypic strategies. In this study, quantitative PCR was used to evaluate water samples for species specific (cow and human) Bacteroides in the Finley River. The Finley River is susceptible to impacts from both bovine and humans as it flows through farmland and urban areas. Water samples were collected from sites identified in a previous study that had high E. coli levels. Two samples were collected at each site (One sample for enumeration of E. coli and the other to assay for Bacteroides). Sampling was done approximately three times per month for one year. For each sampling event, pH, DO, turbidity, water temperature, flow rate, and rainfall were recorded. The results showed lower than expected cow markers throughout the sampling period; while human markers were much more prevalent than cow markers during the drier (and warmer) months. A correlation was found between human specific Bacteroides markers and E. coli at one site, but not at either of the other two sites. This method affords more informative surveillance data to area health departments so more appropriate remediation strategies can be developed.
Keywords
Bacteroides, microbial source tracking, 16SrRNA, E. coli, fecal indicator, qPCR
Subject Categories
Biology
Copyright
© Neil John Van Asch
Recommended Citation
Van Asch, Neil John, "Host Specific Microbial Source Tracking and Quantification Using a Partial 16SrRNA Sequence of Bacteroides on the Finley River, a Tributary of the James River in Southwest Missouri" (2009). MSU Graduate Theses. 1272.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1272
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