Project:

Using DNA Sequencing to Identify Microbiomes Within NYC Parks

Students:

Omna Siddiqui, Sofia Mykytenko

Institution:

DNALC at City Tech, Brooklyn

Mentors:

Michael Friedman

Abstract:

New York City is renowned for some of the best public drinking water in the country, but studies have shown the effect of different kinds of microbes that are identified in the water. Although water treatment and inspection are the same at the source, bacteria can be present in the pipes, and storage tanks where water is stored before it goes to the general population. We plan to sample water from various parks of diverse income levels around Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island to identify and analyze the diversity of microbes present in the water. Based on previous studies and research, we can infer why a certain species of microbe can be found, and how it may have an impact on human health, or the surrounding environment. By identifying patterns between the quantity of species of microorganisms and neighborhoods, we can determine whether lower-income neighborhoods have a disproportionately greater percentage of microbes, and whether those microbes are more harmful.

Poster:

Team samples: