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The project is expanding technology used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAN ANTONIO - Texas A&M University-San Antonio is one step closer to launching a critical project to detect and research new and potentially threatening contaminants in the region’s water.
Earlier this month, Congressman Joaquin Castro secured approval from the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for $11.7 million to support San Antonio community projects. This funding includes $1 million earmarked for a University project designed to detect emerging pathogenic threats and antibiotic resistance genes through wastewater surveillance. It will also extend the analysis to include surface and aquifer water.
“There is a growing problem with viruses like the avian flu and bacteria that have acquired antibiotic resistance. These microbes can emerge and spread in communities, and we don't necessarily see symptoms in people until there's a serious outbreak,” said Dr. Davida Smyth, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Sciences spearheading the project. “With wastewater surveillance, you can detect if those kinds of microbes are circulating in an unbiased and non-invasive way and gain information on the population dynamics of infectious diseases.”
Smyth said that in addition to helping alert the San Antonio community about viruses and harmful bacteria, the project is also meant to develop a framework for educating students and preparing them to enter the workforce with the skills necessary to detect and respond to these new and emerging threats.
“That’s the big picture goal,” said Smyth. “The project has huge potential as an important public health tool.”
But for the project to come to fruition, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate must still pass the FY2025 federal appropriation bills and sign them into law. In 2021, Congress launched the community project funding process to provide an avenue for members to request direct federal funding to support community-driven initiatives in their districts.
“When this funding is signed into law, it will make an impact across our city,” said Castro in a press release.
A&M-San Antonio has been using wastewater surveillance to track COVID-19 viral load, said Smyth. The new project seeks to expand surveillance and develop new methods to detect other emerging microbial threats in Bexar County and beyond.
“We’re taking existing techniques and strategies and using them to look for threats we haven't encountered yet in our wastewater,” said Smyth. “Then we hope to extend the analysis to include surface and aquifer water to better protect the San Antonio community.”
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About Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in South San Antonio, the University offers 39 undergraduate degrees and 23 graduate degrees to about 7,620 students. A&M-San Antonio is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders, the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center, and the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement. The University holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation and is one of 39 higher education institutions in the U.S. to have received the Seal of Excelencia certification from Excelencia in Education for its support of Latino student success. More than 77 percent of A&M-SA students identify as Hispanic, and approximately 72 percent are the first in their families to attend college. A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution; the University was recently awarded the 2023 Gold Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award (VEERA) from the Texas Veterans Commission. Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission