Wastewater-based system to detect gonorrhea spread and drug resistance early
Official title: Establishing a Wastewater Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Program (wwGISP) for Early Detection of Community-Level Gonorrhea Transmission and Antimicrobial Resistance
Funded at University of Nevada Las Vegas · NIH-11356957 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new wastewater-based monitoring program will track gonorrhea bacteria and antimicrobial resistance in communities to detect outbreaks and resistance trends earlier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Las Vegas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Las Vegas, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $416,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI199156-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11356957 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participants; the study focuses on environmental surveillance to inform public health responses.
✕Less likely to help
Individual patients may not participate directly or receive direct treatment from this project.
What this research studies
This project uses wastewater samples from urban communities to identify genetic markers of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and its resistance patterns before they show up in clinical reports. By applying genomic surveillance to sewage, the team aims to create a faster, broader view of transmission and resistance across multiple locations. The effort builds on prior successes with wastewater health monitoring and plans to validate a scalable infrastructure in selected cities, including Las Vegas, to inform timely public health actions. The work involves collaboration among microbiology, epidemiology, and data analytics with a focus on translating findings into actionable insights for health departments and clinicians.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could see earlier detection of gonorrhea spread and antibiotic resistance, enabling quicker prevention and treatment adjustments.
How similar studies have gone: Wastewater surveillance has shown earlier detection of pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and other AMR signals in prior work, suggesting potential for early warning in gonorrhea.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oh, Edwin C. — University of Nevada Las Vegas
- Study coordinator: Oh, Edwin C.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.