Six new Hygienic Laboratory projects received funding from state and national partners in the last five months. This funding helps support the unique capabilities of the public health laboratory system, including Emergency Preparedness; Education, Training and Professional Development; Limnology (water quality monitoring); and Environmental Microbiology/Office of Research and Development.

Inquiries and additions to this feature are welcome. Contact Robin Michel (robin-michel@uiowa.edu) for more information.

• The Association of Public Health Laboratories is funding two projects:
  
  
  • Online emergency preparedness training for state and local public health communities - $25,000 (completion in six months) PI: Wanda Reiter-Kintz
    
    
  • An interactive, web-based knowledge assessment tool (primarily for clinical laboratorians) used to improve skills needed to recognize and rule out potential agents of bioterrorism - $60,000 PI: Beth Hochstedler
  
  
• City of Ames - PIs: Susie Dai and Michael Schueller
  Monitor and analyze the water quality of the lake and surrounding watershed at Ada Hayden Heritage Park
  
  
• Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination - $40,000 (one year) PIs: Lucy DesJardin, Nancy Hall and Wes Hottel
  Identify antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in Legionella found in hospital water using next generation sequencing
  
  
• Kirkwood Community College - Nonmonetary PIs: Beth Hochstedler and Erica Larson
  Purchase, install, use and maintain an instructor microscope and student microscopes for education and training in laboratory sciences