ÃÛÌÒAPP

Bridget Hegarty, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received a competitive NSF CAREER award to address a critical infrastructure challenge: The $7 billion annual cost of bacterial damage to U.S. water systems. Hegarty’s innovative research focuses on developing "phage cocktails"—precisely engineered combinations of beneficial viruses that can eliminate harmful bacteria without the negative side effects of traditional chemical treatments. This approach represents a paradigm shift from trial-and-error methods to rationale design, and relies on advanced bioinformatic analysis to predict which viral combinations will be most effective and safest applications in water systems. 

Simultaneously, Hegarty will develop educational materials and hands-on research experiences to train high school teachers and university students in phage discovery. In addition, she will convene an advisory board of industry experts to increase practitioner knowledge and engagement with phage biocontrol technologies. By establishing a systematic understanding of the features of safe and effective phage cocktails and preparing current and future practitioners for adoption of phage biocontrol, this research could transform water treatment practices.

On top of that, Hegarty also received a $1 million grant from the Department of Home and Housing Development and an additional grant from NSF.