Rapid: exposure risk for cyclone-induced flooding and bacterial pathogen emergence

The National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology awarded $287,516 to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler on July 15, 2026, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to investigate how cyclone-induced flooding reshapes microbial communities and influences public health risks.

The research focuses on nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)—naturally occurring bacteria in water and soil that cause chronic lung disease—following the March–April 2026 Hawai'i Kona Low cyclone flooding events. The project uses Hawai'i as a natural laboratory, examining whether cyclone-driven flooding promotes emergence and spread of environmental bacteria capable of causing lung disease. Hawai'i experiences among the highest rates of NTM lung disease in the United States, and the research builds on a decade of environmental surveillance and whole genome sequencing conducted at the recipient institution.

The project also engages high school students, mentors, university trainees, and community scientists across Hawai'i in research experiences spanning microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence applications, advancing science education and workforce development in these disciplines.

Performance runs from the award date through June 30, 2027, with work performed at Tyler, Texas. This RAPID award responds to the time-sensitive research opportunity presented by the March–April 2026 flooding events, enabling rapid deployment of research capability to capture environmental and epidemiological data during the critical post-disaster period.

Abstract

Natural disaster events create major challenges for communities, infrastructure, ecosystems, and public health. Floods, wildfires, and volcanic activity can alter environmental conditions in ways that may unintentionally increase human exposure to microorganisms such as bacteria. Hawai?i represents an important natural laboratory for understanding these processes because of its unique island geography, ecological diversity, and recent history of major natural disasters. This project addresses a fundamental question: how do large environmental disturbances reshape microbial communities and influence potential risks to human health? The research focuses on understanding whether cyclone-driven flooding promotes the emergence and spread of environmental bacteria capable of causing lung disease. This work advances the national interest by improving scientific understanding of how changes to environments can affect public health and inform disaster preparedness and recovery efforts by providing new knowledge that may reduce risks for vulnerable populations particularly in the context of lung disease. The project also promotes science education and workforce development by engaging high school students and their mentors, university trainees, and community scientists across hawai?i in authentic research experiences spanning microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence applications. This rapid project investigates the impacts of the march?april 2026 hawai?i kona low cyclone flooding events on environmentally acquired respiratory pathogens using nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) as a model system. NTM are naturally occurring bacteria found in water and soil that can cause chronic lung disease, and hawai?i consistently experiences among the highest rates of NTM lung disease in the united states. Building upon a decade of environmental surveillance and whole genome sequencing datasets collected before and after prior natural disasters, including the 2018 k?lauea eruption and the 2023 l?hain? Wildfire, the project will examine whether flooding alters NTM diversity, distribution, and adaptive characteristics. Approximately 2,000 environmental samples will be collected longitudinally across the four most populated hawai?i islands from flood-affected natural and built environments. Microbiological culture, molecular identification, whole genome sequencing, comparative phylogenomics, and antimicrobial resistance analyses will be used to characterize pathogen emergence and evolutionary adaptation. The project also advances NSF priorities in biotechnology and artificial intelligence through NTM genomic analyses and student-led development of machine learning approaches to improve prediction of antimicrobial resistance patterns. Results will generate foundational knowledge on how environmental disturbances shape pathogen evolution, improve understanding of environmental drivers of respiratory disease risk, and contribute to disaster-response strategies applicable to communities in hawai?i and beyond. 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 not planned for this award.