PIF2025 - Strategic monitoring and analysis of microbial risks and trends through environmental surveillance - (PID2024-160288OB-I00)

The project, led by Drs. Gloria Sánchez and Alba Pérez, responds to the pressing need to address escalating microbial risks linked to extreme weather events, especially flooding exacerbated by climate change. Recent catastrophic flooding caused by the DANA event in the Valencian region disrupted wastewater treatment plants and sewage systems in multiple towns, leading to untreated sewage contaminating critical water bodies. This contamination poses severe risks to public health, agriculture, aquaculture, and the environment. Building on data from previous projects, the present project aims to enhance understanding of the dynamics, and consequences of emerging microbial risks, including viruses, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes. The project seeks the following specific objectives: 1. Investigate how microbial communities accumulate and change over time following flooding events. 2. Evaluate the effects of microbial contaminants on agricultural crops and aquaculture systems, focusing on the potential risks to food safety. 3. Assess how climate change factors, such as temperature and pH fluctuations, influence the survival, persistence, and evolution of viruses in various environmental scenarios. 4. Utilize environmental water monitoring to detect emerging and zoonotic viral risks, including viruses associated with mosquitos and birds.