ORISE postdoc develops novel methods to detect pathogenic bacteria

Kyle Brumfield, Ph.D., has always been interested in how things work. Brumfield’s parents worked for NASA, and one of his earliest memories is watching a space shuttle launch on TV. He didn’t know until much later in life just how many resources and technological advances were required for such a mission. What he could understand, even at a young age, was that the STEM field governs development of our global society, and that this was a field he wanted to join.

Brumfield found his true passion within the STEM field in high school, forgoing the vast depths of astronomy for the intricate processes of microbiology. “Like looking out to space,” Brumfield explains, “I had an immediate interest in looking inwards to the unseen, microbial world and learning how the environment has the potential to regulate human health and disease transmission.”

Brumfield turned this passion into microbiology bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Plymouth State University, New Hampshire, before earning his doctorate in marine estuarine environmental sciences at the University of Maryland in 2023.

Throughout his doctoral program, Brumfield employed traditional biology techniques to detect and characterize microbial communities. However, he found that the traditional techniques often failed at detecting microorganisms present at low levels in complex samples. During the pandemic, Brumfield read about a novel technique that was made popular for SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) detection in wastewater. “I thought if this technique could increase detection rates of RNA viruses in complex samples like wastewater, it could also be applied to other pathogens in both environmental and clinical settings.”

While in the lab finishing his doctorate, Brumfield envisioned a project that used this technique to detect and characterize the pathogenic bacteria of the genus Vibrio. This group of bacteria is found in coastal water and certain members of the genus Vibrio are known to cause pandemics. “Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera, the seventh pandemic of which is ongoing and continues to plague the modern world with millions of reported cases each year,” Brumfield explains. Other pathogenic Vibrio spp. can cause vibriosis associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood and wound infections from contact with water containing the Vibrio bacteria.

So, when looking for potential research opportunities to pursue after graduate school, Brumfield found the Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (IC Postdoc) Program through the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). This program allowed him to pursue new ways of detecting Vibrio and related pathogens.

The IC Postdoc Program, managed by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), offers scientists and engineers from a wide variety of disciplines unique opportunities to conduct research relevant to the Intelligence Community.

As an ORISE postdoctoral fellow under advisors Rita Colwell, Ph.D., and Robert Bull, Ph.D., Brumfield now spends his time doing research in the laboratory, writing code, reading scientific literature, envisioning new research questions, and preparing results for publication.

Brumfield and his team are focused on developing new methods for pathogen detection to be used in development of early warning systems and risk reduction strategies. They combine molecular methods with environmental data and remote sensing, with the goal of developing predictive models for risk attribution and disease mitigation, a valuable public health tool in a time of climate change.

“Available evidence suggests a global rise in Vibrio spp. infections linked to climate change,” Brumfield explains. “An increasing number of studies document a pattern of poleward spreading of pathogenic Vibrio spp., demonstrating significant geographic expansion of these bacterial populations.”

The global increase in coastal water temperatures makes detection of Vibrio relevant for public health. “Risk prediction models provide early warning essential for public health intervention and relevant allocation of resources,” Brumfield says. “These models are critical for regions of the world that are highly vulnerable because of infrastructure instability, including lack of WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), as well as natural calamity, e.g., hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, and/or social disruption and civil unrest.” However, risk of Vibrio spp. infections is also relevant to the United States. A prime example is the spike in Vibrio vulnificus wound infections that occurred in Florida following Hurricane Ian, a destructive category five storm that made landfall in Florida during September 2022.

Brumfield’s research is at the intersection between microbial ecology and public health. Detection and characterization of pathogens coupled with predictive intelligence can provide the information necessary for the allocation of supplies, personnel and safe water in times of crisis. Brumfield believes this research will have wide-ranging application for our future climate. “By using Vibrio as a model, this research will lay the groundwork of predictive intelligence systems capable of assisting decision makers under varying climate scenarios,” he says.

According to Brumfield, the ORISE program allows for its participants to make a difference through projects that they’ve envisioned. “Being able to work with the Intelligence Community has provided a direct application for my research with a real-world impact,” Brumfield says.

After his appointment, Brumfield hopes to use the lessons learned from the ORISE program to do research on other microorganisms and the microbiome. “The ORISE program has provided many networking opportunities to interact with scientists from many institutions in various fields,” Brumfield says. “I hope to find a position that bridges the gap between academia and the Intelligence Community.”

As a new father, Brumfield is highly motivated to create a better world for future generations.

“Concerningly, as the global climate continues to change, the emergence of infectious diseases is expected to grow,” Brumfield explains. “Identifying conditions favorable to growth and spread of pathogenic agents in the environment can provide anticipatory decision-making capabilities to reduce the burden of disease and save human lives.”

The Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program is funded by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and managed by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) under an agreement between the IC and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ORISE is managed for DOE by ORAU.