Author: Devyn Meyer Major: Biological engineering
Devyn Meyer
My name is Devyn Meyer and I just finished my junior year in the College of Engineering. I am a biological engineering major with an environmental concentration and a minor in sustainability. My mentor is Dr Wen Zhang in the civil engineering department. This semester, I collected wastewater samples from various treatment plants in Arkansas. Most of the samples were from the Noland plant in Fayetteville, but we also regularly collected samples from Little Rock. After collecting the wastewater samples, I processed and filtered the wastewater and performed RNA extraction and qPCR to quantify the level of viral SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater. I have been involved with this project since fall 2020. In the fall, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in every sample we processed, but the presence of the virus began to decline midway through the spring 2021 semester. Because of this, we processed fewer samples in the second half of the semester. We began to test one sample from each plant and sample date and proceed with the rest of the samples if it tested positive. Next semester, I plan to continue to collect data, but less frequently than this semester. It will be good to monitor the presence of COVID in the wastewater, especially as students return to campus at the beginning of the semester. If there is very little SARS-CoV-2 RNA present in the samples in the fall, I will begin to analyze the data that has been collected over the past year. I plan to begin writing my honors thesis in the fall.
After returning home in the spring 2020 semester, I knew that I wanted to do some sort of research when I returned to campus. Dr Zhang was my professor in a course I took during that semester and I really enjoyed having her as a professor. I emailed her to discuss what research projects she was working with and she mentioned the project that I am currently working on. I was very excited about the idea of doing something that directly impacts the community, like analyzing the presence of COVID-19 in the area. This semester was very challenging to stay on top of consistent sampling with the course load I had. While we were sampling very regularly in the beginning of the semester, we fell out of a consistent schedule after that. It didn’t end up harming the research though, as frequent sampling was not as necessary as COVID began to decline. This research has taught me many laboratory skills, such as how to perform RNA extraction and quantitative polymerase chain reaction procedures. It has also been a great lesson on time management.
The team working on this project consists of myself, Katie Loethen, and Aaron Long. We have found a good method for dividing work, as each of us picks up samples from the plants and performs a step of the process. I mostly do RNA extraction, while Aaron processes and filters samples and Katie does qPCR. Dr Zhang is very helpful when coordinating with the wastewater treatment plants. She worked out a sampling schedule with the plants and is in communication with them regarding their needs (eg. needing more sampling bottles). She has led research group meetings to check in with us regarding our goals for the project over the semester and is available for help whenever we need it. There has not been any travel related to this project yet, but I hope to be able to go to a conference with my partners within the next two semesters. As I enter my senior year, I am excited to begin to analyze the data we have collected. As the presence of COVID-19 declines, the need for sampling will lessen and there will be more time to focus on looking at the data, instead of just collecting it. While our goals may shift a bit as COVID-19 becomes less of an issue, we will still continue the work we have done. As we continue to work on this project, I will start my honors thesis with the hope of defending it in the Spring 2022 semester.