NSF Award
2028400
Asymptomatic carriers of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can unknowingly spread COVID-19. Undergraduate students, who routinely congregate on campuses for classes and other activities, have an elevated risk of exposure to respiratory infections. However, as a generally younger adult population, they also have a relatively low risk of progressing to COVID-19. As a result, it is possible that students could be carriers of this virus, posing increased risk of spreading it to others. This RAPID project will expand the scope of an existing Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in microbiology at the University of Houston ? Clear Lake. Students currently enrolled in the CURE participate in authentic research in a course-based setting to study the nasal microbiome. Support provided by this award will enable students to add information about their SARS-CoV-2 status to the research. The CURE will allow them to learn both how research is conducted and to potentially generate new knowledge about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus works. Students will also develop and use a virtual reality tool to learn how to use MALDI-TOF to sequence DNA fragments, providing them with skills that are valuable in clinical and research laboratories. <br/><br/>The students enrolled in the CURE have already collected their own nasal swab specimens earlier in the Spring 2020 semester. These specimens were cultured to select for bacteria in the Staphylococus genus. Working at home, students will participate in remote data collection from high-throughput MALDI-TOF analysis of PCR amplicons generated from the 16S rRNA gene with bacterial-domain specific primers. These data will identify which bacterial isolates are Stapthlococcus epidermis. In addition, volunteers from this group of students will be invited to return campus to provide nasal swab samples to be tested for the presence of SARS-Cov-2. A drive-through testing facility that requires students to remain in their vehicles at all times will be used for this purpose. At the facility, registered nurses will survey the students about possible CoVID-19 symptoms. Following FDA guidelines, students will then self-swab, place the swab into a tube containing reagents that inactivate viruses, then place the tube into a secondary container. Thus, only the individual student handles their sample. Co-PI Alexander will collect all of the secondary containers, place them into a third container, and deliver it to a commercial lab to be tested for SARS-CoV-2, using research-only test kits that cannot be used clinically. Students will receive their SARS-CoV-2 status via a blinded protocol that ensures that only the individual student will know their status. The deidentified data from the class will be pooled to examine the relationship between the nasal microbiome and the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Exploring the potential of S. epidermis to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection might provide greater understanding of the virulence of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, there is a urgent need for immediate data collection. In parallel with data collection and analysis, the project intends to develop virtual modules for teaching MALDI-TOF, providing students with training opportunities that would be otherwise unavailable due to campus closure. This RAPID award is made by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program in the Division of Undergraduate Education (Education and Human Resources Directorate), using funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.<br/><br/>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.
