GOHA Awards Seed Grants

In November 2023, the Global One Health Academy opened up a call for Seed Grants. Proposals were welcomed from NC State faculty and EHRA professionals for seed funding for novel, interdisciplinary One Health research projects aligned with any of three priority areas: combating infectious diseases, driving food and water solutions, and addressing climate change and health disparities. Four projects were selected among competitive applications across six NC State colleges. Congratulations to our recipients!

One Health Implications of Insecticide Resistance in Pathogen Vectors

• PIs: Michael Reiskind (CALS)
  • Martha Burford Reiskind (COS)
  • Zachary Brown (CALS)
  • Jennifer Baltzegar (COS)
  • Cole Butler (COS)
• GOHA Thematic Area: Climate Change and Health Disparities
• Abstract: Mosquitos are notorious pests and vectors of animal and human disease. Chemical control is a cornerstone of mosquito control, but is subject to the evolution of insecticide resistance and has potential effects on ecosystem health by killing non-target, beneficial insects. Furthermore, insecticide resistance in vectors has implications for both human and animal health, as resistance may limit the effective control of vectors during disease outbreaks. We are examining the evolution of insecticide resistance in the pest and vector mosquito Aedes albopictus in Wake County, NC in a One Health framework. We will leverage our large collection of preserved mosquitoes to generate patterns of genotypic resistance in the knockdown resistance (kdr) gene over space and time. We will assess the hypothesis that socioeconomic behaviors contribute to increased frequency of kdr by correlating patterns of resistant kdr alleles with socioeconomic factors. In addition, we will develop theoretical bioeconomic models that connect human behavior to selection for resistance. Finally, we will prepare for publication a manuscript formalizing the connections between the evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes, human economic behavior, and One Health in this context. The data and intellectual products of this project will provide the basis for future grant efforts at federal agencies and private entities.

Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance across the Environment, Domestic Animals and Children in Rural Bangladesh, and Improved Floors to Reduce Exposure to Soilborne Resistance

• PI: Ayse Ercumen (CNR)
• GOHA Thematic Area: Infectious Diseases
• Abstract: In settings with high antibiotic use and unsafely managed fecal waste, environmental and animal reservoirs can spread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to humans. Environmental AMR surveillance using sentinel organisms such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli (ESBL-E) can illuminate which reservoirs present highest exposure risks for humans. Particularly, soil in the household environment is a critical AMR reservoir but is overlooked in both surveillance and intervention efforts. Our preliminary data from Bangladesh suggest concrete floors can substantially reduce soilborne AMR exposure compared to soil floors. We propose to leverage an ongoing NIH-funded randomized controlled trial of concrete (vs. soil) floors in rural Bangladesh to enumerate ESBL-E in the household environment (floor swabs, child hand rinses, drinking water, food), feces from domestic animals (poultry, cows) that share the living space and child stool from the same household. Our objectives are to: (1) identify dominant AMR exposure pathways in the domestic environment for young children, and (2) assess whether concrete floors reduce ESBL-E on floors and in stool of young children. Our focus on flooring improvements to reduce soilborne AMR exposure is highly novel, and systematic enumeration of ESBL-E across several environmental, animal and human reservoirs in a high-risk setting directly supports the One Health framework. Our team consists of investigators with complementary expertise already working together on the parent trial. The project will train one graduate and one undergraduate NC State student. Preliminary data generated will support grant proposals to NIH (R01, R21) and Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute International Collaboration Award.

Expanding One Health Collaborations in Indonesian Borneo

• PI: Skylar Hopkins (CALS)
• GOHA Thematic Area: Infectious Diseases
• Abstract: Deforestation is among the greatest One Health challenges of our time. To reduce forest loss in protected areas and support human well-being in West Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), the government and NGOs provide a combination of community support, positive incentives, and deterrents. The NGOs that we collaborate with—Alam Sehat Lestari, Health in Harmony, and Yayasan Planet Indonesia—co-design support programs with local and Indigenous communities, recognizing that their deep ecological knowledge is critical for identifying relevant challenges and developing sustainable solutions. These co-designed programs include affordable healthcare clinics, community health workers, sustainable job opportunities, One Health education, microloans, and more. Here, we propose to (Aim 1) analyze previously collected but unexplored health and livelihood data to determine how zoonotic disease risk is linked to deforestation in West Kalimantan; (Aim 2) host an in-person working group meeting at NC State University with the academic team and partners to discuss priority alignment, plan future projects, and connect with potential new collaborators from NC State University; and (Aim 3) use our preliminary data and aligned priorities to begin writing an NSF EEID or NSF DISES proposal for submission in Fall 2024. In addition to an NSF full proposal, this seed grant will support at least one peer reviewed publication, training for one graduate student in Spring 2024, and opportunities for GOHA fellows to network with One Health NGOs. Ultimately, this funding will also improve the interconnected health of rural communities and rainforests in West Kalimantan.

Enhanced Food Security through Sustainable Agriculture: Use of Green Pickering Emulsions as Delivery Platforms for Plant Growth Promoting Microbes and Agrochemicals

• PIs: Saad Khan (COE)
  • Nathan Crooke (COE)
  • Charles Opperman (CALS)
• GOHA Thematic Area: Food and Water Solutions
• Abstract: Targeted delivery of agricultural active ingredients (AI) with minimal environmental footprint can be a significant factor in mitigating global food insecurity. Building on the synergistic expertise of the PIs (Khan-materials, Opperman-crop protection, and Crook-biologics), we propose the use of Pickering emulsions (PEs) as a sustainable material platform for simultaneous loading of diverse agricultural AIs including both agrochemicals and Plant Growth Promoting Microbes (PGPM). Derived using amphiphilic colloidal particles as emulsion stabilizers, PEs offer higher stability than conventional emulsions while avoiding solvents and surfactants. The multiphase composition of the PEs, solid, oil, and water, offer a unique platform to incorporate multiple active ingredients, including PGPMs, and to control their releases over time. PGPMs, touted as the next generation AIs, are largely unexplored. In particular non-sporulating PGPM, despite its beneficial effects, remain seriously underutilized due to difficulties in maintaining viability in formulation in the absence of spores. Our previous work has demonstrated the utility of cellulosic-derived biodegradable particles for producing stable PEs for this purpose. In this project, we will investigate the conducing parameters present in the PEs that help maintain microbe viability. We will further evaluate the potential of the PEs to simultaneously load both PGPM and agrochemicals and the resulting effects on formulation efficacy. This work promises both functional and environmental benefits: loading of multiple AIs provides for multi-spectrum products applicable for a diverse range of crop protection/enhancement issues, while the lack of surfactants and co-solvents and use of benign biodegradable stabilizers validate the sustainable nature of our platform.

This post was originally published in Global One Health Academy (GOHA).