Â鶹ӳ»­

Title

Control biofilms in water infrastructures using innovative germicidal technologies

Mentor

Ben Ma, Ph.D.

Department

Civil and environmental engineering

Biosketch

Ben Ma, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of environmental engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Â鶹ӳ»­. His research interests focus on various topics in water and sanitization services, including pathogen control in water, air, and on surfaces, emerging chemical contaminants in water, and water infrastructure. Prior to joining the University, he worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Colorado Boulder to understand the performance and mechanisms of emerging UV technologies for pathogen control, which has been widely recognized within the academia and industry and by public health officials in supporting efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Ma holds a doctoral degree in environmental engineering from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, a master’s degree in biotechnology from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Project overview

Biofilms, which are widely detected in water transport infrastructures such as water distribution systems and premise plumbing, pose significant challenges including microbial-induced corrosion and taste and odor issues, presenting risks to infrastructure, the environment, and public health. Traditional biofilm control methods using chemical disinfectants offer limited effectiveness while causing issues such as disinfection residuals and by-products. Emerging ultraviolet (UV) technology, such as UV Light emitting diodes (LEDs), could provide a novel solution for managing biofilms in water infrastructure, with high effectiveness and energy efficiency and no by-product formation. This project will focus on understanding the performance, mechanisms, and long-term effects of innovative UV technologies on biofilm control in different water infrastructures. The outcome of this research will help guide the development of mitigation strategies of biofilm associated microbial risks in water supply systems, which could be the key to our next generation water infrastructure.

The PREP student will be trained with basic lab skills in environmental engineering, microbiology, and molecular biology, including bacterial cell culture and enumeration, bioreactor and UV system setup and operation, DNA extraction and quantification using advanced techniques such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The applicants should express a strong interest in microbiology, engineering, and/or public health, with basic knowledge in biology and chemistry and willingness to engage in hands-on experimental work.

Pack Research Experience Program information and application