DR. WARISH AHMED 1/156 Clarence Road, Indooroopilly 4068, Australia Phone: 07 3896 9522 (Office), 0423187637 (Mobile), E-mail: shuhat@yahoo.com Educational details PhD in Water Microbiology (Sep. 2002-Mar. 2006) University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Thesis Title: Host-species specific metabolic fingerprint database of Escherichia coli and enterococci for tracking the sources of faecal contamination in surface waters. Supervisors: Dr. Mohammad Katouli and Associate Professor Ron Neller. Bachelor of Science (honours) in Marine Biology (Jun. 1995-Aug. 1999) Khulna University, Bangladesh. Dissertation Title: Study on Golda (Macrobrachium. rosenbergii) culture system in Bagerhut Thana under the management of CARE, Bangladesh GPA obtained: 3.74 on a scale of 4 (First class honours degree) Research Expertise • Faecal pollution tracking in water bodies using cutting edge microbial source tracking (MST)

methods such as biochemical fingerprinting, Antibiotic Resistance Analysis (ARA), host-specific molecular markers and faecal sterol analysis.

• Detection and quantification of faecal indicator bacteria, and pathogens in alternative water sources such as stormwater including roof-harvested rainwater and treated wastewater.

• Expert in developing rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based methods for the detection and quantification of various pathogens in water sources.

• Expert in working with more than 35 clinically significant pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium spp. and noroviruses.

• Excellent working knowledge of Geographical Information System (GIS) and multivariate statistical analysis such as cluster analysis and discriminant analysis.

Research experience and contribution to knowledge • I have significant research experience in cutting edge Microbial Source Tracking (MST) which is

used to determine the sources of faecal pollution, and to establish whether faecal pollution is being introduced in surface waters/storm run off through human sewage or animals waste. The use of this technology is rapidly becoming widespread as more water quality managers recognise its potential for the management of environmental water quality. I am one of the leading researchers in the MST field in Australia, and have authored 15 journal articles on the topic (including two review articles) since April 2005.

• During my PhD, I developed a new MST technology known as “biochemical fingerprinting” for faecal pollution tracking in environmental waters. This method requires the development of a library of faecal indicator bacteria (E. coli and enterococci) from suspected sources. The indicator bacterial patterns in the library are then compared to the unknown bacterial patterns found in environmental waters to identify their likely sources. This method has been used to demonstrate the evidence of septic system failure, and to identify the sources of faecal pollution in three coastal lakes in Southeast Queensland.

• On completion of my PhD, my research focused on developing rapid and inexpensive PCR based molecular methods to detect and quantify faecal pollution in environmental waters. The most

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important feature of this technique is that the results can be obtained rapidly, and the analysis is significantly cheaper compared to library-dependent MST methods. I have published 5 journal articles on PCR based methods and their implications for MST.

• In 2006, the Department of Natural Resources and Water (DNRW), Queensland, recognised MST as a potential tool for the detection of human-sourced faecal pollution in urban runoff. I received a grant from DNRW to evaluate the performance of PCR based human specific markers for the detection of human faecal pollution in stormwater runoff. In this project four different MST technologies were used to detect human-sourced faecal pollution originating via defective septic systems in the former Pine Rivers Shire.

• In 2007, I joined DNRW as a water microbiologist, and my research priority was to develop a ‘Toolbox’ of 35 microorganisms, including key pathogens commonly found in water, using traditional culture and quantitative PCR based methods. The primary aim was to use a different suite of indicators, various MST techniques and qPCR based methods to quantify key pathogens in various components of urban water to aid in the assessment and management of public health risks. This is a collaborative project between DNRW and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and was undertaken at QUT’s environmental microbiology laboratory. I am the first water microbiologist in Queensland to take the initiative to use molecular based methods for direct measurement of pathogens as an alternative to measuring faecal indicator bacteria, which often fails to indicate the presence of pathogens.

Research Grants • Development of a ‘Toolbox’ of microorganisms for the assessment of public health risks associated

with alternative water sources ($ 270 000 from Treasury Special Fund, Qld. Govt.) • Development of real-time PCR assays to quantify human faecal pollution in non-sewered catchments

($ 35 000 from Department of Natural Resources and Water). • Monitoring microbiological quality of bore water in Eudlo Creek Catchment ($ 1 500 from Natural

Resources Management Southeast Queensland) • Development of library independent microbial source tracking methods ($ 9 000 from Department of

Natural Resources and Water). • Detection of pathogenic microorganisms in recreational coastal lakes ($ 28 000 from Caloundra City

Council) • Impacts of failing septic systems on surface water quality ($ 8 200 from Maroochy Shire Council). National and international research collaborations • Professor Ashantha Goonetilleke (BEE Faculty) and A/Prof. Megan Hargreaves and Dr. Flavia

Huygens (Science Faculty). As part of the collaboration between QUT and DNRW, a ‘Toolbox’ of methodologies is being developed to detect and quantify 35 microorganisms including key pathogens commonly present in water. This work has led to the development of rapid methodologies for assessing water quality in terms of public health risk.

• Dr. Grant Hansman from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Japan. The aim of the collaboration is to transfer qPCR technology from Japan to Australia for the detection of noroviruses and sapoviruses in food and water. Dr. Hansman has provided me with technical support to set up qPCR methods for noroviruses.

• Dr. Katayama Hiroyuki from Tokyo University, Japan. Dr. Hiroyuki is an international expert in developing methods for determining concentration and quantification of viruses in waters. In

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September 2007, I visited his laboratory in Tokyo University to study the methodology for virus concentration. Currently we are using this methodology at QUT to concentrate viruses from water samples. Dr. Hiroyuki is also providing me with positive DNA/RNA controls for qPCR assays development, as these controls are difficult to obtain in Australia because of strict quarantine regulations.

• Member of an international MST research team lead by Prof Andreas Farnleitner and Dr. Georg Reischer from the Institute of Chemical Engineering, Gene Technology Group, Vienna University of Technology, Austria. This research team is evaluating a human and cattle specific Bacteroides marker which has the potential to quantify the human and cattle faecal pollution in environmental waters on a global scale.

• This team has formed a special group on MST technology, and the results of this study will be presented at the health related water microbiology conference in Greece in 2009.

• Member of the international research team led by Professor Joan Rose from Michigan State University, USA to assess the impact of sewage on our global waters. Professor Rose is a prominent microbiologist, and in 2000 was named as one of the 21 most influential people in Water in the 21st Century by the Water Technology Magazine. Prof Rose has approached me to be a partner on the ‘global sewage mapping’ project.

• The aim of this multination project is to advance the understanding of the impact of wastewater on water quality throughout the world and to set the stage to meet and document improved sanitation and wastewater treatment for the global community. A grant application has been submitted to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (an initiative of the Microsoft Corporation) to obtain funding.

• I also collaborate with Associate Professor Rita Yousuf from the Independent University of Bangladesh to investigate the degree of faecal pollution in a developing country. This project aims to develop a simple and rapid method for assessing water quality for developing countries, to help prevent diarrhea. This is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years in developing countries.

Journal Publications 1. W. Ahmed, J. Stewart, T. Gardner, and D. Powell (2008) A real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the

quantitative detection of the human-specific enterococci surface protein marker in sewage and environmental waters. Environmental Microbiology. 10: 3255-3264 (ISI Impact factor 4.931).

2. W. Ahmed, F. Huygens, A. Goonetilleke, and T. Gardner (2008) Real-time PCR detection of pathogenic microorganisms in roof-harvested rainwater in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 74: 5490-5496 (ISI Impact factor 4.004).

3. W. Ahmed and M. Katouli (2008) Phenotypic variations of enterococci in surface waters: analysis of biochemical fingerprinting data from multi-catchments. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 105: 452-458 (ISI Impact factor 2.501).

4. W. Ahmed, M. Hargreaves, A. Goonetilleke, and M. Katouli (2008) Population similarity analysis of indicator bacteria for source prediction of fecal pollution in a recreational coastal lake. Marine Pollution Bulletin 56: 1469-1475 (ISI Impact factor 2.334).

5. W. Ahmed, J. Stewart, D. Powell, and T. Gardner (2008) Evaluation of the host-specificity and prevalence of enterococci surface protein (esp) marker in sewage and its application for sourcing human fecal pollution. Journal of Environmental Quality. 37: 1583-1588 (ISI Impact factor 2.331).

6. W. Ahmed, J. Stewart, D. Powell, and T. Gardner (2008) Evaluation of Bacteroides markers for the detection of human faecal pollution. Letters in Applied Microbiology 46: 237-242 (ISI Impact factor 1.623).

7. W. Ahmed, D. Powell, A. Goonetilleke, and T. Gardner (2008) Detection and source identification of faecal pollution in non-sewered catchment by means of host-specific molecular markers. Water Science and Technology. 58: 579-586 (ISI Impact factor 1.240).

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8. W. Ahmed, A. Goonetilleke, and T. Gardner (2008) Alternative indicators for detection and quantification of faecal pollution. AWA Journal Water. 39: 23-29.

9. C. Beal, T. Gardner, W. Ahmed, C. Walton, and D. Hamlyn Harris (2008) Urine-separation and reuse trial. AWA Journal Water 39: 46-49.

10. J. Harper, W. Ahmed, A. Neller, N. Tindale, R. Neller, and I. Kurtböke (2008) The effects of vermicomposting on population and community structure of enterococci in a residential community. The Journal of Environmental Health Australia 8: 11-21.

11. D. Sullivan, P. Brooks, N. Tindale, S. Chapman, and W. Ahmed (2008) Application of Fecal Sterols to Identify Human Fecal Pollution in Non-Sewered Catchments. Water Science and Technology (under review).

12. W. Ahmed, S. Sawant, F. Huygens, A. Goonetilleke, and T. Gardner (2008) Prevalence and occurrence of zoonotic bacterial pathogens in surface waters in Brisbane, Australia (under review).

13. W. Ahmed, J. Stewart, T. Gardner, D. Powell, P. Brooks, D. Sullivan, and N. Tindale (2007) Sourcing faecal pollution: a combination of library-dependent and library-independent methods to identify human faecal pollution in non-sewered catchments. Water Research. 41: 3771-3779 (ISI Impact factor 3.427).

14. W. Ahmed, J. Tucker, K. A. Bettelheim, R. Neller, and M. Katouli (2007) Detection of virulence genes of an existing metabolic fingerprint database to predict the sources of pathogenic E. coli in surface waters. Water Research. 41: 3785-3791 (ISI Impact factor 3.427).

15. W. Ahmed. (2007) Limitations of library-dependent microbial source tracking methods. AWA Journal Water. 34: 96-101.

16. W. Ahmed, J. Tucker, J. Harper, R. Neller, and M. Katouli (2006) Comparison of the efficacy of an existing versus a locally developed metabolic fingerprint database to identify non-point sources of faecal contamination in a coastal lake. Water Research. 40: 2339-2348 (ISI Impact factor 3.427).

17. W. Ahmed, R. Neller, and M. Katouli (2006) Population similarity of enterococci and Escherichia coli in surface waters: a predictive tool to trace the sources of fecal contamination. Journal of Water and Health. 4: 357-364 (ISI Impact factor 1.164).

18. W. Ahmed, R. Neller and M. Katouli (2005) Host species-specific metabolic fingerprint database of enterococci and Escherichia coli and its application to identify the sources of fecal contamination in surface water. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 71: 4461-4468 (ISI Impact factor 4.004).

19. W. Ahmed, R. Neller and M. Katouli (2005) Evidence of septic system failure determined by a bacterial biochemical fingerprinting method. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 98: 910-920 (ISI Impact factor 2.501).

20. W. Ahmed, R. Neller, and M. Katouli (2005) Faecal source tracking in surface waters: a brief-review of faecal indicator microorganisms and current Methods. Environmental Health. 5: 51-68.

Additionally, I have also published thirteen conference papers and three technical reports. Employment History Water Microbiologist, Department of Natural Resources and Water, Qld. (Apr. ‘07-present) Development of a ‘Toolbox’ to assess the microbiological quality of urban water and play the key role in the ongoing collaboration between QUT and DNRW.

Environmental Microbiologist/Water Microbiologist/Recreational Water Quality Consultant, University of the Sunshine Coast (Feb. ‘05-Mar. ‘07) Development of a real-time PCR method for the quantification of human faecal biomarkers. Source tracking of faecal indicators in non-sewered catchments in Queensland Microbiological assessment of bore water quality in Eudlo Catchment, Queensland Detection and source identification of clinically significant Escherichia coli in coastal lakes in Caloundra.

Tutor, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast (Mar. ‘02-Nov. ‘04) (Environmental Processes, Physics, Statistics and Aquatic eco-systems).

Microbiologist/Quality Control Officer, Bagerhut Seafood Ltd. Bangladesh (Sep 1999-Feb 2000) Performed microbiological analysis of finished seafood products and HACCP.