Development of F-Specific Coliphage Typing for Source Water Protection/Watershed Management

Investigates whether specific subtyping of F-specific coliphages can be used to discriminate among specific sources of contamination. Enumerates and isolates F-specific coliphages from various sources including sewage and animal feces. Validates the subtyping methods by enumerating and analyzing coliphages present in surface waters subjected to a variety of known land uses and fecal contamination sources. Completed in 2003. Published as two peer-reviewed journal articles: (1) "Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Male-Specific Coliphages by Reverse Transcriptase-PCR and Reverse Line Blot Hybridization," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 70(10):5996-6003, October 2004, which can be viewed on the AEM Website and (2) "Assessment of Sources and Diversity of Male-Specific Coliphages for Source Tracking," Environmental and Engineering Science, 22(3):367-377, May/June 2005, which can be downloaded from the Foundation Website.