Caring for future generations

PrairieDNA is about monitoring environmental DNA in collaboration with First Nations communities in Manitoba and Ontario in order to identify microbes and other species that are present in the environment that might be of interest to Indigenous communities. This is one of the 12 new projects co-funded by Genome Canada and regional Genome Centres to build Canada’s eDNA surveillance capacity across regions. Genome Canada and Genome Prairie have invested $380,000 for 2025-2026 in the PrairieDNA project.

“So, the intention is to monitor waterways that are in their jurisdictions. And so, we have several community partners around the Prairies North region. And those partners will be leaders in helping us guide the research. So it’ll be particularly impactful for them because it’s designed that way.”, says Eric Collins, principal investigator of the project.

Collins is an assistant professor at the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources and holds a Canada Research Chair in Arctic Marine Microbial Ecosystem Services at the Centre for Earth Observation Science, Environment and Geography.

Researcher Eric Collins stands on the deck of the Churchill Marine Observatory

UM’s Eric Collins, Canada Research Chair in Arctic Marine Microbial Ecosystem Services, at the Churchill Marine Observatory on the western shore of Hudson Bay // Photos by Katie Chalmers-Brooks

Three researchers from the Microbiology Department at the Faculty of Science are also involved in the project as co-principal investigators: Marike Palmer, assistant professor; Ayush Kumar, professor and associate dean of strategic initiatives; and Miguel Uyaguari, assistant professor and Indigenous scholar.

The project consists of 3 themes. 1) Reciprocal Ecologies, 2) Altered Landscapes, and 3) Human-Constructed Systems.

“My own research is very much tied to the research theme one to this project, focused on the biodiversity exploration and understanding what the different microbial communities look like and how they change over time. Where we’re basically trying to uncover any microbial novelty and at the same time trying to see how those microbial communities differ over time and trying to figure out if we actually need active conservation efforts for the biodiversity captured in those environments”, says Palmer, who is involved with theme one, exploring the microbial community diversity in natural waterways.

Theme two focuses on monitoring invasive species in rehabilitated lakes and is in collaboration with the Experimental Lakes Area.

Marike Palmer and a student in the field. Photo credit: Aman Verma

Theme 3 looks at the role of the antimicrobial resistance genes and other potential pathogens in municipal water systems in First Nations communities. Both Kumar and Uyaguari are involved with theme 3. Kumar’s research is regarding mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

“We are interested in antibiotic resistance, which is considered a silent pandemic. Globally, antibiotic-resistant infections kill about 1.3 million people every year. So, looking at the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in the environment is very, very critical when it comes to how to address the problem. And one way of doing that is by looking at the present in the environment that may encode for various antibiotic resistance. The aspects that we are involved in this project can help coming up with ways where we can improve the safety of the water and spread of antibiotic resistance”, says Kumar.

Ayush Kumar

Uyaguari’s research focuses on antimicrobial-resistance genes that could be present in water and wastewater treatment facilities in Indigenous communities.
“My involvement is to look at antimicrobial-resistance genes that could be present in water antimicrobial-resistance genes that could be present in water and wastewater treatment facilities in Indigenous communities to evaluate the discharges from, wastewater facilities and oxidation lagoons in these communities, as well as evaluate the water cycle in general from a microbiological perspective.”, says Uyaguari.