Quantifying the transmission routes of gastroenteritis in Pakistan and developing targeted interventions

Lead Research Organisation: Earlham Institute
Department Name: Research Faculty

Abstract

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and the intestine by harmful bacteria, and other similar microbes, such as viruses. It causes diarrhoea and dehydration, which can be easily complicated in areas of the world where clean water is in short supply. The disease is a major health problem in Pakistan, where it is estimated to be responsible for nearly 60,000 deaths annually. Indeed, in Pakistan, 38% of children under five years old have received treatment for diarrhoea at some point in their lives.

In this project, our project team of social scientists, microbiologists, engineers, epidemiologists, chemists and statisticians will combine to take a genuinely inter-disciplinary approach to understanding the various social, biological, chemical and technical factors affecting the spread of gastroenteritis through agriculture, sanitation, drinking water, food, and person-to-person contact. A significant effort will be made to understand the social attitudes to water, sanitation, hygiene and how those link to agriculture, food and the way communities live their lives. At the same time, the information obtained from studying those cultural issues will be used to help decide on a plan for sampling water and other environmental samples for chemical and biological measurements and experiments.

We will focus on some important bacteria and parasites associated with gastroenteritis. Tests will be developed that allow us to rapidly detect those target bacteria (Campylobacter and E.coli) and parasites (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) based on DNA sequencing technology. Among these, Campylobacter is particularly strongly associated with growth-stunting in children. We have recently developed new tests in the UK to allow for rapid detection of the bacteria associated with tuberculosis (bTB) in cows, and we will adapt that technology in Pakistan for gastroenteritis.

The development of such low-cost, easily portable, and reliable tests for rapid detection of harmful bacteria and parasites will be a groundbreaking development for disease surveillance and prevention.

As part of the project, we will also test the various transmission routes of those bacteria in causing gastroenteritis. To do this, we will set up experiments to, for example, explore the transmission of harmful bacteria from soil or water into leaf crops, root vegetables and fruit.

We will also involve a wide variety of social partners. We will use surveys and run facilitated workshops to meet the various people with a stake in clean water and food, good sanitation, and public health. This includes households, tenants and landlords; community leaders; politicians; local and central government; governmental agencies, including those responsible for environmental protection; academic partners in the local universities; water and wastewater companies; the farming community; medical personnel; public health experts and administrators; and a wide variety of NGOs and development agency representatives, including UNICEF.

The project will generate a large amount of information about the cultural issues affecting the transmission of harmful bacteria such as Campylobacter, as well as technical information on the means of infection. Importantly, useful tests will be developed to help significantly improve the ability of experts in Pakistan to monitor harmful bacteria and prevent infections. We also see important opportunities for transferring our knowledge and technology further afield to other low- and middle-income countries.

Technical Summary

Gastroenteritis contributes to stunting and cognitive impairment in children, particularly following bacterial and parasitic infection. Transmission mechanisms, including food, e.g. vegetables and poultry, drinking water, and person-to-person contact, are intensified by social determinants, such as poverty and inequality. The health burden is particularly high in LMICs, such as Pakistan. Critically, it is in these countries that we know least about the importance of different transmission routes. Water Sanitation and Hygiene interventions have been disappointing. We believe that this can be improved by basing interventions on evidenced transmission pathways, and knowledge of the societal structures and behaviours that facilitate infection and are amenable to intervention.

We will combine social science, molecular biology and microbial ecology, bioinformatics, epidemiology, and environmental engineering, to quantify transmission routes for non-viral gastro-enteric pathogens at multiple locations in Pakistan and determine the social context influencing transmission.

Work packages include structured sampling for infection in patients and healthy people to quantify and characterise bacterial and parasitic pathogens selected for their impact on acute gastroenteritis and evidence linking them to enteric dysbiosis, growth and cognitive development (Shigella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella including Typhi, Cryptosporidium and Giardia). Domestic, environmental and food chain sampling will support tracking of sources and transmission. Complementary work will (i) seek to understand societal and cultural features relevant to gastrointestinal infection and control and (ii) evaluate approaches to agriculture and wastewater treatment to decrease pathogen burden in the environment and on food.

Findings from this work will inform identification and prioritisation of interventions and will be followed by an evaluation of the most promising feasible intervention.

Planned Impact

Gastroenteritis is a major public health burden in Pakistan and this project will attempt to mitigate that. Furthermore, the information gained about non-viral gastroenteritis transmission in Pakistan and the molecular tools developed to do that will be transferrable to other low income countries where in general there is a high risk of gastroenteritis and its health sequelae. The substantial importance of these infections arises from both acute illness with associated social impact on education and economic productivity, and the longer-term effects. This is why we are targeting those non-viral infections with strong associations with growth faltering and intellectual impacts in children. Gains from reduction in these infections are therefore potentially substantial, as evidenced by the support we have received for this proposal from UNICEF.

By mapping out transmission routes accurately and quantitatively to inform control measures, we expect to allow more cost-effective interventions. This has the potential double-impact of making it more likely investment will flow to support more effective, evidence-based, and culturally-appropriate and acceptable approaches, as well as cost savings, by avoiding the implementation of ineffective interventions. To optimise our ability to achieve real impact, we plan to include both technical and sociological research to underpin the planning of interventions. Although we are working carefully to ensure that we identify and test the most effective intervention(s) in a way that is fully informed by the local context, we do also expect that our findings will have the scope for far wider impact. Firstly, we have chosen populations and settings that are not particularly unusual or unique so that many areas with similar contexts prevail widely elsewhere. Secondly, the general approach of identifying the contextual factors fully can be applied in other settings if we can demonstrate that it allows an efficient and effective intervention.

The project will impact - and we will explicitly monitor and assure - capacity development in Pakistan. The research programme will be structured in such a way that during the first half of the project, Pakistani researchers will visit the UK for training in molecular biology methods, bioinformatics and statistical analysis. Samples will be processed in the UK during this first phase to ensure quality-control based on established and well-performing protocols. During the second half of the project the entirety of the sample processing - and, crucially, the analyses - will be performed in Pakistan. Developing a cohort of junior researchers with the skills necessary to make a major public health impact in that country will thus be a lasting mark of this project. Using our contacts from a wide, collective network across a range of countries, we will additionally invite researchers from other LMICs to the UK training workshops. This will result in a similar impact for those countries but will also contribute to developing potential international links between the early-stage researchers who may, indeed, over the course of their own careers, face similar public health challenges. Our commitment to this is reflected in focussing a substantial proportion of funding for work in the field and to support travel for project staff to work at each other's institutions.

Finally, there is a major potential impact from raising the profile of the commercial pathogen surveillance opportunities in LMICs with companies such as Oxford Nanopore. Some funding is available in Pakistan but purchasing equipment and consumables required, or securing the long-term support to run, and maintain, equipment is challenging. Through our links with these companies, and invitations to UK workshops, we will demonstrate the inherent commercial opportunities to achieve more efficient technical support with consequent long-term benefits in health and medical research in Pakistan.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The project has been delayed and we have a no cost extension to continue up until 31st September 2024. Therefore our key finds have not yet fully materialised. We are still generating and analysing data. However, some patterns are starting to emerge:

1) Targeted qPCR of DNA from faecal samples taken from healthy individuals showed, as expected, E. coli in the gut microbiota of most individuals. E. coli is not necessarily pathogenic. More concerning is that we observed Campylobacter in 6 individual and Shigella in 10 out of 107 faecal samples. Interestingly, faeces from 3 participants tested positive for both Campylobacter and Shigella. This indicates that gastroenteritic pathogens may be present at a certain level endemically in healthy individuals.

2) Selective culturing revealed the presence of E. coli, a faecal indicator bacterium, in the drinking water of several households, and as a result we advised issuing a boil water advisory notice for these residences.

3) In the environmental testing there was a clear seasonal difference, with Salmonella being detected exclusively in the dry season and Shigella in the wet season. Almost no samples from the winter season tested positive for any of the targeted pathogens (E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella). Additionally, whilst evidence of pathogens was detected in both sediment and water samples from in the wet season, in dry season pathogens were detected solely in the river sediments. This indicates seasonality in the risk of transmission of pathogens from environmental sources.


In the environment we do observe major differences in the overall environmental microbiome between the wet and dry season in Pakistan. The communities become more similar during the wet season. Indicating greater exchange of microbes. The overall level of pathogens in the environment also increases.

We are now relating this to pathogen levels in the fecal samples of individuals and water samples from households.
Exploitation Route We are hopeful that the outcomes of this award could help policy makers and NGOs in Pakistan in terms of making decisions to prioritise investment in sanitation. To help achieve this in September in Pakistan we will be organising a final impact workshop.
Sectors Healthcare

 
Description We have had one concrete impact from our findings so far. We observed E. coli in the drinking water samples taken from our household survey. This is a concerning faecal indicator. As a result we issued a boil water advisory in our study area. In Faisalabad we generated posters about the risks of using wastewater for irrigation these were distributed to farmers and they have shown a commitment to use treated water for irrigation and will follow our advice regarding basic hygiene, safety and cure. There have also been numerous news articles in Pakistan on our project.
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Healthcare
Impact Types Societal

 
Title Protocols for collect of environmental samples 
Description Standard operating procedures were developed and shared with collaborators for the collection of environmental samples from river water and sediments, drinking water, human faeces and manure. These included protocols for the correct storage of samples to allow for their use in selective culturing and DNA extraction for downstream applications. 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Environmental reservoirs of pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis have been discovered in specific areas targeted in Pakistan as part of a collaboration with NUST in Islamabad and UAF in Faisalabad. The samples collected were used in selective culturing and DNA extracted from them in molecular biology assays, the data from which will be used to further understand transmission routes for these pathogens in water supplies. 
 
Title Protocols for extraction of DNA from environmental samples 
Description Standard operating procedures were developed and shared with collaborators for the extraction of DNA from environmental samples, including soil, river sediment, water filters, faeces and manure. 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Environmental reservoirs of pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis have been discovered in specific areas targeted in Pakistan as part of a collaboration with NUST in Islamabad and UAF in Faisalabad. The DNA extracted from challenging environmental samples by these methods has gone on to be used in a number of molecular biology assays and the data from these will be used to further understand transmission routes for these pathogens in water supplies. 
 
Title Protocols for pathogen assays in environmental samples 
Description Standard operating procedures were developed and shared with collaborators for the qPCR assays of selected pathogens including targeting species of Shigella, Salmonella, campylobacter, Escherishia, Giardia and Cryptosporidium 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Environmental reservoirs of pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis have been discovered in specific areas targeted in Pakistan as part of a collaboration with NUST in Islamabad. The data will be used to further understand transmission routes for these pathogens in water supplies. 
 
Title Protocols for pathogen assays in environmental samples 
Description Standard operating procedures were developed and shared with collaborators for the selective culturing of targeted pathogens including species of Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Escherichia. 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Environmental reservoirs of pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis have been discovered in specific areas targeted in Pakistan as part of a collaboration with NUST in Islamabad and UAF in Faisalabad. The data will be used to further understand transmission routes for these pathogens in water supplies and crops. 
 
Description Cranfield University - Early Career Researcher Symposium 2-day event (4-5th March 2024). 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact At Cranfield University, Dr McKenna presented his work at the Early Career Researcher Symposium which was a 2-day event (4-5th March 2024).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Faisalabad - Gut Warriors Seminar on "Conquering Gastroenteritis through Awareness and Action" October 2023. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Bio-safe food is an essential component in developing countries. In peri-urban areas urban and industrial or household wastewater is a common practice of irrigation. Human health is continuously is at risk owing to the risks posed by heavy metals and microbial contaminants. Major aim of this seminar was to highlight the critical aspects and to draw the attention of the common people and researchers and to provide a platform to discuss current scenario as well as recent scientific and social interventions to combat deleterious effects of contaminated waste-grown vegetables and possible safety measures.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Faisalabad - International Seminar on "Agroecological and Social Interventions of Reused Water Irrigation (A Gastroenteritis Context) February 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Bio-safe food is an essential component in developing countries. In peri-urban areas, urban and industrial or household wastewater is a common practice of irrigation. Human health is continuously is at risk owing to the risks posed by heavy metals and microbial contaminants. Major aim of this seminar was to highlight the critical aspects and to draw the attention of the common people and researchers and to provide a platform to discuss current scenario as well as recent scientific and social interventions to combat deleterious effects of contaminated waste-grown vegetables and possible safety measures.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL http://www.gastropak.pk
 
Description Faisalabad - International Seminar on "Molecular and Agro-ecological interventions for sustainable Peri-Urban Agriculture (A gastroenteritis Context)" February 2024. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Bio-safe food is an essential component in developing countries. In peri-urban areas urban and industrial or household wastewater is a common practice of irrigation. Human health is continuously is at risk owing to the risks posed by heavy metals and microbial contaminants. Major aim of this seminar was to highlight the critical aspects and to draw the attention of the common people and researchers and to provide a platform to discuss current scenario as well as recent scientific and social interventions to combat deleterious effects of contaminated waste-grown vegetables and possible safety measures.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description GastroPak Partner Project Meeting and Presentations June 2023 at Earlham 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Over 1.5 days at the Earlham Institute we had a series of presentations from project members based across partner institutions including from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan, the University of Cranfield, UK, the Earlham Institute, the National University of Science and Technology Islamabad, Pakistan, and the University of Warwick.
Topics of the presentations included: Update on field trials and sampling to date, Initial results of heavy metal analysis, Comparison of qPCR and metagenomics for AMR gene profiling, Assessment of Antibacterial Resistance (ABR) of Predominant Pathogen Strains in Rawal Dam and its Tributaries, Overview of environmental sampling and molecular biology, Proposed farm sampling within GastroPak, Results to date cell counts and qPCR, Initial results from metagenomics sequencing, Overview of questionnaire survey and initial results, Molecular biology work and initial results of household survey, and Qualitative social science

Which lead to discussions on the following topics:
- Integration of molecular biology and household sampling surveys,
- next steps on field trials and social science in Faisalabad,
- possible work on membrane bioreactors and controlled wetlands,
- Integrating plate counts, metagenomics and genome sequencing
- Potential outputs and next steps

This activity was supported by BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Award 4 FTMA4 (BB/X017761/1).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Impact Advisory Board 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Impact Advisory Panel met for the first time to discuss the plans for the project, progress to date and advise on routes to impact. This included professional scientists in various sectors working in India and Pakistan, as well as the UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description International Workshop on Molecular Biology of Pathogen Surveillance - May 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This workshop was held at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad, Pakistan.
A number of partners from UK and Ireland attended in person with some attendees joining virtually online.
At this workshop UK partners meet with Pakistan partners, training in microbiology was also provided to Pakistan participants who were to undertake the sampling for the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description International seminar on Agro-ecological and Social Interventions of Reused Water Irrigation (A Gastroenteritis Context) February 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Supporters
Results and Impact The seminar involved delivery of talks related to scientific and social aspects of GastroPak project to nearly 60 student and staff of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). Two talks were presented from project collaborators: the scientific talk was titled "Evaluating impact of heavy metals and pathogens in irrigation water on soil and crop quality", and the social science talk "Why critical social science matters for studies in wastewater". In addition, there were also talks by local scientists, NGOs (e.g. World Wildlife Fund) and students of UAF who are working on aspects related to irrigation of wastewater in agriculture.
The series of talks and panel discussions related to scientific and social aspects of wastewater irrigation and its impact on gastroenteritis. There were also field visits to Madhuana and Paharang Drain and vegetable farm trials located close to these sites. It was a very engaging event where discussions related to opportunities and challenges to use wastewater irrigation was explored with input from both local and foreign experts.

The combination of field visit and Panel discussions were very complementary to reinforce classroom-based discussions with practical interventions that can be deployed to tackle gastroenteritis. There was also a visit to a floating wet land, and we managed to speak to the local scientist, one who has published this work in Nature Sustainability. The option of using the floating wet land to treat contaminated wastewater to mitigate pollutant and pathogen load is viable and needs to be further explored.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Islamabad - International Microorganism Day 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact SCEE (IESE) celebrated International Microorganisms Day (IMD-2023) under Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) on 19th September 2023.

One-day workshop titled: "Hands-on Workshop on Basic Microbiology Techniques and Laboratory Skills". This workshop was designed to familiarize the undergraduate Environmental Engineering students with the field of Environmental Microbiology which deals with the study of microorganisms in water, soil and air. This includes health hazards due to pathogenic strains, methods to control microbial contamination, role of disinfectants, prevention of diseases and health care practices. The workshop was focused on imparting hands-on training on basic environmental microbiology tools and techniques. Furthermore, familiarization of lab equipment, their usage and adherence to safety guidelines. Students explored various categories of bacteria and the importance of surveillance and epidemiology as related to gastrointestinal and nosocomial infections. Gastroenteritis causes and its transmission routes were an important part of the workshop. This awareness session for students is an effective intervention of GastroPak Project - GCRF-MRC-UK project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Islamabad - International Talk: Wastewater irrigation for vegetable crops in peri-urban farms: heavy metals and mitigation using biochar January 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Dr. Patrick McKenna (Post-Doc Research fellow, Cranfield University UK) visited SCEE(IESE). He delivered a talk on Wastewater irrigation for vegetable crops in peri-urban farms: heavy metals and mitigation using biochar. The talk was attended by related faculty members and IESE students. Students had taken keen interest in the presentation and asked multiple questions to Dr. McKenna during interactive session.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Know your river - rivers as a resource for all 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talk to the MMEG 2022 conference in Glasgow
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Know your river citizen science project 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Citizen science project where members of the public could request sampling kits and sample a waterway of their choice then send their samples to our lab for analysis for antibiotics, faecal indicator bacteria and antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/outreach/know_your_river/
 
Description Lecture given on water utility companies in UK polluting rivers 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Lecture presented at the13th International Meeting on Microbial Epidemiological Markers organised by ESCMID. The talk was entitled "The riverine resistome - what should we be monitoring?" There were many questions and discussion about pathogens and antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Lecture given on water utility companies in UK polluting rivers 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Lecture presented at 6th International Symposium on the Environmental Dimension of antibiotic resistance, 22-27th September 2022 Gothenburg Sweden entitled "The Impact Of Lethal And Sub-lethal Selective Effect Of Antibiotics In The Environment ". There were many questions and discussion about pathogens and antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Local Newspaper Prints to publicise the www.gastropak.pk website February 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact On 25 February 2023 following the "International seminar on Agro-ecological and Social Interventions of Reused Water Irrigation (A Gastroenteritis Context)" the University of Agriculture Faisalabad released a local press article to summarise the event and announce the launch of the www.gastropak.pk website.
The article was translated into at least three local languages and distributed across 12 different local print newpapers including: the Ausaf Daily, Business Recorder Daily, Business Recorder, The News, Daily Jang Lahore, the Daily Pakistan.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL http://www.gastropak.pk
 
Description Microbial Bioinformatics: Genomes and Microbiomes Training Workshop, June 2023 at Earlham 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Week long bioinformatics training workshop at the Earlham Institute for those involved with analysing microbial data attendees included to the postgraduate students, research associates and assistants on the GastroPak project from the following organisations: the National University Science and Technology (Islamabad, Pakistan), University of Warwick, Earlham Institute, and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research ( Chandigarh, India).

This activity was supported by BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Award 4 FTMA4 (BB/X017761/1).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Microbial community analysis in R - training workshop June 2023 at Earlham 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 3 Day training workshop at the Earlham Institute for those involved with analysing microbial data training conducted by Dr Leo Lahti from the University of Turku.
Attendees included postgraduate students, and research associates and assistants on the GastroPak project from the following organisations: the National University Science and Technology (Islamabad, Pakistan), University of Warwick, Earlham Institute, and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research ( Chandigarh, India).

This activity was supported by BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Award 4 FTMA4 (BB/X017761/1).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Microbiology Capacity Training Workshop - February 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact UK partners returned to the National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad to provide further microbiology training to the research team in Pakistan. Attendees included members team from the partner institute the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
Knowledge exchange of specific microbiology techniques to ensure sample integrity and enable higher throughput were covered in detail. There was a high level of engagement, questions and discussion, with a mini assessment to evaluate the attendees understanding.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Pint of Science - public engagement talk on pollution in rivers and the affects on bacterial load and AMR 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 30 members of the public attended for a series of talks in a private room in a public house. The talk was followed by a formal Q&A session and later by a series of informal discussions on the subject of river pollution.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentation by Dr Patrick McKenna on Wastewater irrigation for vegetable crops in peri-urban farms in Faisalabad: heavy metals, biochar mitigation and future plans (29 Jan-09 Feb 2024) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Dr Patrick McKenna visited Pakistan and engaged with project partners at NUST and UAF (29 Jan - 9th February 2024). During his stay he presented a talk at an International Conference titled 'Cultivating sustainable practices: Managing ecological interventions'. There were approximately 80 delegates present at this event which was key for Dr McKenna to share his initial findings. He then stayed on to carry out field sampling to bring back some samples to UK for soil microbial analysis including Phospholipid Fatty Acid Analysis and Substrate Induced Respiration.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Training workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Two workshops were given on training postgraduates at NUST, Islamabad, Pakistan one in May 2022 and the second follow up one in February 2023. Both were successful in transfer of techniques, building expertise at NUST and other centres in Pakistan plus inclusion of a series of talks related to pathogen detection and tracking environmental sources of contamination.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description qPCR Capacity Building Workshop with Pakistan 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Our workshop held at Warwick University was on the topic of the theory, practical use and applications of qPCR techniques. This was relevant to our collaborating universities in Pakistan, 15 people attended remotely from Pakistan including professors, technicians, students. The use of the Thermofisher QuantStudio 5 machine and applications involving bacterial targets were covered in detail. There was a high level of engagement, questions and discussion.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021