title: Lessons learned from implementing a wet laboratory molecular training workshop for beach water quality monitoring.
abstract: Rapid molecular testing methods are poised to replace many of the conventional, culture-based tests currently used in fields such as water quality and food science. Rapid qPCR methods have the benefit of being faster than conventional methods and provide a means to more accurately protect public health. However, many scientists and technicians in water and food quality microbiology laboratories have limited experience using these molecular tests. To ensure that practitioners can use and implement qPCR techniques successfully, we developed a week long workshop to provide hands-on training and exposure to rapid molecular methods for water quality management. This workshop trained academic professors, government employees, private industry representatives, and graduate students in rapid qPCR methods for monitoring recreational water quality. Attendees were immersed in these new methods with hands-on laboratory sessions, lectures, and one-on-one training. Upon completion, the attendees gained sufficient knowledge and practice to teach and share these new molecular techniques with colleagues at their respective laboratories. Key findings from this workshop demonstrated: 1) participants with no prior experience could be effectively trained to conduct highly repeatable qPCR analysis in one week; 2) participants with different desirable outcomes required exposure to a range of different platforms and sample processing approaches; and 3) the collaborative interaction amongst newly trained practitioners, workshop leaders, and members of the water quality community helped foster a cohesive cohort of individuals which can advocate powerful cohort for proper implementation of molecular methods.
authors.affiliation: The University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Marc Paul
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Verhougstraete
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sydney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brothers
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, Beaufort, North Carolina United States of America.
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Litaker
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Science, Morehead City, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: A Denene
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Blackwood
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Science, Morehead City, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noble
mesh_terms: D001493:Bathing Beaches / Q000592:standards*; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007753:Laboratories; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014871:Water Microbiology / Q000592:standards*; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards*
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