Nate Stone | Leptospirosis Research
Nate Stone Shares His Research from Puerto Rico
Friday, March 31th, 2023
Leptospira bacteria are maintained in reservoir animals (such as livestock and rodents) and shed into the environment through urine, leading to transient contamination of soil and water. During flooding events, such as hurricanes, the distribution of these infectious bacteria can be amplified and widespread, leading to an uptick in infections.
Dr. Wagner’s research team has extensive experience detecting and characterizing dangerous pathogens in the environment, such as Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis. Dr. Wagner tasked research coordinator Nate Stone from his research team with leading this project, including the design of novel field and laboratory methods to conduct this research.
PMI’s environmental survey for Leptospira bacteria in Puerto Rico revealed the widespread distribution and ubiquitous presence of the bacteria in soil and water across the island and led to new insights regarding the bacteria’s ability to persist and potentially proliferate in water-soaked soil. We also identified a tremendous amount of previously unknown diversity within the genus Leptospira, including the discovery of an entirely new species, Leptospira sanjuanensis. This work was conducted in collaboration with partners at the United States Department of Agriculture in both Puerto Rico and Ames, Iowa.
-
PhD Student
Nate Stone
Nathan Stone completed his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences right here at Northern Arizona University followed by his master’s degree under the guidance of Dr. Dave Wagner at the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute. He is a third year PhD student on schedule to defend his dissertation in the Spring of 2024. His current research is focused on characterizing the bacteria that cause the disease leptospirosis.
LinkedIn
