Where is Delftia? Implementing citizen science into the biotechnology and environmental science curriculum

The Delftia acidovorans citizen science project integrates participatory science and community engagement into three courses (ES100—Introduction to Environmental Science, BIOL2700—Environmental Problems, and BIT479/579—High-Throughput Discovery course). Undergraduate students enrolled in ES100 and BIOL2700 collected samples from various locations as part of a class assignment. Students in the BIT479/579 course analyzed the samples using automation and high-throughput molecular biology approaches to reveal the genetic diversity in a portion of a key gene (“gold gene”) needed to produce the peptide delftibactin with gold detoxification properties. The project emphasizes the abundance of microbes such as Delftia acidovorans with potentially useful genes. The ES100 and BIOL2700 students were assessed using a pre- and post-survey and Delftia assignment. This study describes an approach to actively engage undergraduate students in interdisciplinary explorations of public science, further explores the presence and genetic diversity of a key delftibactin gene of Delftia acidovorans, and seeks to understand the environments in which Delftia acidovorans reside while contributing to the discovery of new knowledge.