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Our Science

Viruses are a major threat to human health, responsible for millions of infections and deaths worldwide each year. However, our understanding of how human pathogenic viruses behave in the environment remains limited, hindering efforts to protect public health. 

To address this, our project is focused on developing new tools for detecting and monitoring human pathogenic viruses in wastewater, freshwater, estuarine, and coastal environments. These tools will help us track the origin, diversity, and fate of viral populations over time and across different locations. They will also be critical in measuring community infection rates for diseases such as COVID-19, Norovirus, and Hepatitis A/E. 

The data gathered will inform the development of new guidelines for assessing infection risks in recreational waters, beaches, and shellfish harvesting areas, ultimately helping to protect human health. 

Project Objectives: 

  • Develop innovative methods for quantifying enteric viruses in environmental samples. 

  • Identify and measure harmful viruses in various environments, including water, sediment, wastewater, and shellfish. 

  • Assess the infectivity of detected viruses. 

  • Model the movement of viruses in river and estuarine systems. 

  • Improve current risk assessments for waterborne viruses. 

  • Monitor infection levels within human populations. 

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