Biology professor conducts research in Nepal

Imagine turning your kitchen faucet on and not knowing if the water was safe to drink. Should you boil it, and for how long? Questions of water quality and safety surround communities around the world, including those as far as Kathmandu, Nepal.

Seeking to answer those questions, biology professor Reena Khadka, a native of Nepal, and biology major Natalie Spica ’18 traveled to Kathmandu summer 2017 to conduct microbiological research.

Researching water contamination

Nepal is considered the water tower of Asia, nestled between China to the north and India to the south. The Himalaya mountain range and Kathmandu Valley contribute much of the water to the continent. And nearly 80 percent of the tap water is contaminated with E. coli. 

The goal of the research was to test water samples from the river, taps, and wells, while refining the microbiological paper analytical device (MicroBio PAD), a tool that is about the size of a business card and changes color depending on the quality of the water. The MicroBio PAD is designed to be a low-cost tool for people to test water quality.

Along the drive to collect water samples from the river, Natalie observed people and places much different than what she experienced at home in the US. “I was amazed and humbled by the perseverance of the people.”

Discovering the reality

Once they arrived, Natalie recalled seeing lots of litter and even makeshift power sources. Locals would watch them curiously, unsure what to make of the group dipping vials into the river. Unbeknownst to them, the two were testing tools that could be used to analyze water quality around the world.

As a native of the country, Reena lent knowledge to the research about how Nepali people use the water. Many people will go to the rivers, not to drink the water, but to pour it over themselves for religious purposes, which she knows can be just as dangerous as drinking the water and can cause gastrointestinal illnesses due to exposure to waterborne pathogens.

Reena and Natalie brought the vials back to the lab at Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences (KIAS) to test the water, and simultaneously, the effectiveness of the MicroBio PAD. Two other research groups from Saint Mary’s, chemistry professor Toni Barstis and two students, plus an interdisciplinary research group, were also working with collaborators at KIAS.

While the goal of the research trip was to refine the MicroBio PAD, Reena knows that they collected much more than water samples. She saw growth in Natalie not just professionally as a researcher, but also as a global citizen.

In line with the mission of the College, Reena believes the trip was beneficial to develop Saint Mary’s women to be global citizens. Her passion is visible as she talks about the growth of her students, especially Natalie’s growth over the four weeks in Nepal. “Being able to reach even one student at a time and help them understand their potential and their place in the world is why I do what I do.”