Viable norovirus fate during water and wastewater treatment operations

The University of Notre Dame DU Lac received a $419,999 project grant awarded May 1, 2025, through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), with completion expected April 30, 2028. The research addresses the characterization of viable norovirus fate during water and wastewater treatment operations. Primary deliverables include laboratory-based infectious norovirus measurements using human intestinal enteroid (HIE) cells and evaluation of virus removal across multiple treatment processes, including chlorine and ultraviolet disinfection, membrane treatment, and activated sludge processes. The project will generate comparative data assessing the agreement between culture-based, molecular, and surrogate methods for norovirus detection, directly supporting improved water quality management, wastewater reuse protocols, and recreational and agricultural water safety standards.

Beyond core research activities, the project includes significant science education and outreach components designed to build public understanding of water quality and STEM career pathways. Deliverables in this category encompass career day presentations through partnerships with local Boys and Girls Clubs, development of water quality learning modules for high school students, and public engagement sessions including "Science at Sunset" and "Science Sundays" programming. These education initiatives complement the fundamental research mission and support workforce development objectives aligned with NSF Engineering program priorities.

Abstract

Norovirus is the virus that causes the commonly known 'stomach flu'. IT has been difficult to study the health risk of this virus because IT does not grow in the laboratory. A new method using 'human intestinal enteroids cells,' or hies, now allows norovirus to be grown in the laboratory. This research project will use hies to measure infectious norovirus in water. The study will investigate how this virus is removed by water treatments. Ultimately, this information will help ensure safe water and potentially facilitate reuse of treated wastewater. This project will also support outreach to a local BOY's and girl's club to give career day talks. The project will also develop water quality learning modules for high school students and engage the public in science education through public 'science at sunset' and 'science sundays' sessions. Norovirus, a critical waterborne pathogen, is predicted to account for most infections from exposure to sewage-contaminated water. Understanding the fate of norovirus in the water environment is thus crucial for addressing pressing water management challenges, including wastewater reuse and ensuring recreational and agricultural water safety. Norovirus has historically been unculturable in the laboratory. Thus, current measurements of norovirus fate in water and wastewater treatment systems rely on molecular or surrogate methods with unknown agreement with infectious norovirus. Recent culture models based on hies have enabled the cultivation of norovirus. The project will use hies to characterize infectious norovirus fate in water and wastewater using controlled laboratory experiments and samples from full-scale systems. Examples of processes that will be evaluated include chlorine and ultraviolet disinfection, membrane treatment, and an activated sludge process. This research will also enable the assessment of the agreement of culture, molecular, and surrogate measures of infectious norovirus fate in water. Cultivation of norovirus in hies remains highly specialized; thus, validating molecular or surrogate approaches to understand norovirus fate would enable and support additional research in this critical arena using more accessible tools. Finally, HIE-cultured samples will be paired with metagenomic sequencing to develop a 'shotgun culturing' approach to identify the infectious virome from wastewater samples. Ultimately, this work will provide the most comprehensive evaluation of norovirus fate in water and wastewater treatment systems, informing water quality monitoring and design of wastewater reuse systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are planned for this award.