This is a member-only event.
Tuesday, July 6 | 12-1 p.m. CDT | Free for Members
About the Webinar
Heuristic and hierarchical-based population mining of Salmonella enterica lineage I pan-genomes as a platform to enhance food safety with Joao Carlos Gomes Neto
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has improved the accuracy of foodborne pathogen outbreak investigations. Typically, traceback epidemiology is done using the sharable content of bacterial genomes (i.e., ubiquitous loci) to map genotypes, whilst tracking them across environments. However, by incorporating the accessory-genome information (i.e., sparse loci or “dark matter”), we can gain genotypic resolution to identify cryptic variants, and predict functionality that could be cause of the epidemiological and ecological patterns observed. By using ProkEvo, a computational platform for scalable population genomics, we analyzed many thousands of S. Typhimurium, S. Newport, and S. Infantis WGS data. Our hierarchical-based pan-genomic analysis revealed that by mining the “dark-matter”, we can maximize genotypic resolution while predicting putative selectable traits underlying changes in ecological fitness.
Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance in Agricultural and Urban Environments with Xu Li
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment poses a potential threat to public health. Surface water is often considered a major environmental medium contributing to the transmission of ARGs to the general public, as it is used as a source of drinking water, irrigation water, and recreational water. The presentation will report our findings from experimental and modeling work on the fate and transport of ARGs originated from urban wastewater and livestock facilities. Data obtained from the investigation were used to design strategies for urban stormwater management and livestock manure management with the goal to minimize the spread of ARGs into surface water.
Target Audience
- Scientists;
- Students (graduate, professional and undergraduate); and
- Administration/leadership at presenting institution.
About the Presenters
Joao Carlos Gomes Neto
Joao Carlos Gomes Neto, DVM (Brazil), MS (ISU – Iowa), PhD (UNL), is currently a postdoc with Dr. Andy Benson working on Salmonella genomics. All graduate training was in microbiology. Connect with Joao Carlos Gomes Neto on LinkedIn.
Xu Li
Xu Li is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). His research at UNL aims to understand the link between the structure and function of microbial communities in natural and engineered systems and apply that understanding to predict and optimize microbial activities critical to ecosystem services and public health. His research projects cover topics like contaminants of emerging concern (e.g., ARGs), wastewater reuse, and stormwater management. He is a recipient of the CAREER award from NSF and the Grand Prize for Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science (E3S) from AAEES. Connect with Xu Li on Twitter.
About the Moderator
Ayanna Glaize
Ayanna Glaize is a Ph. D. candidate at North Carolina State University. Her dissertation is focused on the molecular characterization and transmission dynamics of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella on sustainable farms. Her research is geared towards antimicrobial-resistant surveillance of foodborne pathogens and developing methods to reduce food safety risks. She is interested in continuing her examination of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and expand her scope to metagenomics and bioinformatics. She is also interested in becoming involved with public health research with a focus on neglected tropical diseases.