Faecal Source Tracking

How can the research be used? Ka pēhea e whai take ai te rangahau?

• Using microbiological culture methods, Faecal Source Tracking researchers found naturalised coli at several sample sites, including those in water catchments situated in closed canopy native bush with intensive pest management. In catchments with agricultural land use, E. coli originating from the gastro-intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals predominate.
• This project’s genome sequencing data of 23 naturalised Escherichia strains suggests they represent a distinct evolutionary population. Faecal Source Tracking researchers have sequenced the genomes of a further 218 coli, and sequenced over 1.1 billion DNA base pairs.
• Further work identified traits that may be used to rapidly distinguish naturalised Escherichia from coli associated with faecal contamination, for use by stakeholders and catchment communities to establish water quality and ecological health of freshwater environments. This work will contribute to robust risk assessments and help ensure targeted mitigation steps are implemented.
• This research will continue for a further three years following a successful bid for Smart Idea funding through the 2019 Endeavour Fund. This further research is titled ‘Novel discriminatory tests for E.coli to improve water quality assessments’.