When Hunter Jaykoski and Ian Ball tell their friends that they are spending an afternoon at the river, they are not packing their fishing poles and tackle boxes.
Instead, the two IU East students will don their lab coats and join Indiana University East professor Jia Xue in collecting water samples along the Whitewater River. The purpose of the sample collection is to examine coliform bacteria, a microorganism that is commonly associated with fecal contamination of waterways.
“Fecal contamination can have various sources,” Jaykoski explained. “It could come from wildlife, like geese or deer, or domestic animals like dogs, agricultural livestock, or from humans.”
In order to find the source of the contamination, the team is casting a wide net.
“We follow our protocol to collect samples from various locations at the Whitewater River. The Reservoir is our first collection point, and we have others downstream from there, usually at places where a minor stream enters the Whitewater River,” Jaykoski continued.
The team has been collecting samples for some weeks now and will continue to do so through August.
After each sample has been obtained, the team performs a battery of tests in Indiana University East’s research lab. Conducting research alongside their professor has been a highlight for both students.
“Working with Dr. Xue gave me a new experience. I learned how to operate lab equipment and how to collaborate with a team in a modern laboratory,” Ball said.
He described the process by which the team examines the water samples:
“We first test total/fecal coliform in water samples to give us a general idea of the water quality at each sampling location. Then, we extract DNA from each water sample and run Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with specific genetic markers, the PCR product will then be examined by gel electrophoresis. The gel will separate various DNA fragments according to their size so that pollution sources could be identified.”
Xue elaborated on the purpose of the experiment: “The Gel electrophoresis allows us to determine the strand of the specific genetic markers that is present. Because the bacteria in the feces of geese are different than the ones in human feces, we can determine the likely source of the contamination.”
He explained the significance of the further research: “Rivers and lakes are essential assets for the community, both for the economy and for recreation. It is therefore important to understand and to mitigate the pollution in surface waterways.”
The team’s molecular detective work might help identify defective septic tanks, runoffs from livestock operations, or possibly even ineffective sewage treatment systems as a source for contamination.
Jaykoski and Ball will continue their studies at Indiana University East in the fall semester.
Both are juniors in Biology and Biochemistry within the School of Natural Science and Mathematics. Both students’ career goal is to be admitted to medical school and eventually work in a medical research laboratory setting.
Markus Pomper, Dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, described how undergraduate research furthers Indiana University’s goal to provide long-term success to its students.
“The skills that Hunter and Ian gained in working with Dr. Xue will allow them to join a research team in graduate school or in industry and be immediately productive. They will have had hands-on experience in operating laboratory equipment and working in a team. They also demonstrate that they have the maturity to be individually responsible to further a team’s goals. At Indiana University East, students work shoulder-to-shoulder with experts like Dr. Xue. Together, they identify and solve problems for the community and also prepare members of our community for a challenging career.”
Xue’s work is supported in part by a grant from the Indiana Academy of Sciences.
