Tuning inter-virus interactions in natural aquatic environments

ORAL

Abstract

Polymeric natural organic matter (NOM) originating from plants and animals is ubiquitous in natural aquatic environments. Many water-borne pathogens, including viruses, readily associate with NOM, which has a statistical distribution of charged and hydrophobic groups. Virus-NOM association influences the transport of viruses in groundwater environments, but little is known about this interaction, or how NOM can induce new inter-virus interactions. To better understand the interaction between NOM and aqueous contaminants, we use the MS2 and Qbeta viruses (diameters $\sim $ 27nm) as surrogate water-borne pathogens. Small Angle X-ray Scattering is used to characterize the inter-particle interaction between viruses over a range of NOM concentrations and different salt types and concentrations.

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Authors

  • Nathan Schmidt

    • Dept. of Physics, UIUC
    • Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Andrew K. Udit

    • Deptartment of Chemistry, Scripps Research Institute

  • Leonardo Gutierrez

    • Civil and Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  • Thanh H. (Helen) Nguyen

    • Civil and Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  • M.G. Finn

    • Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research Institute

  • G.C.L. Wong

    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    • Depts of Mat. Science Eng. and Physics, and Seitz Materials Research Lab, U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign