Irene Xagoraraki, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Engineering
Research Focus:

Our research focuses on water quality and public health. We study the fate of viruses and antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes in environmental systems.

Research Funding:

Wastewater Surveillance at the Great Lakes Water Authority Water Resource Recovery Facility and at Select Locations in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland Counties: SARS-CoV-2 and Variants (2021-23) Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) (Sole Investigator)

SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater for Prediction of COVID-19 Temporal and Spatial Fluctuations in Detroit City and Wayne, Macomb and Oakland Counties (2020-21) Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) (Sole Investigator)

SARS-CoV-2 in Detroit: Surveillance and Prediction (2020-22) Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) (Sole Investigator)

A Wastewater-Based-Epidemiology System for Early Detection of Viral Outbreaks in Detroit (2017-19) National Science Foundation - EAGER (Sole Investigator)

Diversity and Abundance of Waterborne Viruses in Southwest Kampala-Uganda (2016-18) The Mastercard Foundation, MSU COM/CVM/ENG (Primary Investigator)

Waterborne Disease in a Karst Environment: A One Health Approach (2015-17) MSU Water Cube (Co-investigator)

Phage Mediated Antibiotic Resistance Gene Transfer in Marine, Freshwater and Extreme Environments (2015-2017) US Civilian Research & Development Foundation, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (Co-Investigator)

Water and Commerce: Technologies to Enable Environmental Sustainability in Global Markets (2013-2017) National Science Foundation -PIRE  (Co-Investigator)

Advanced Technologies for On-Site Treatment of Hospital and Other Biological Wastewater (2016) MSU ESPP VISTAS (Co-Investigator)

State Water Resources Research Institute Program (2015-2016) US Geological Survey (Co-Investigator)


International Supplement for: Virus Removal in Membrane Bioreactors: Role of Virus Aggregation and Adhesion (2014-2015) Na
tional Science Foundation (Co-Investigator)

Collaborative Research: Virus Removal in Membrane Bioreactors: Role of Virus Aggregation and Adhesion (2013-2015) National Science Foundation  (Co-Investigator)

Advanced Membrane Technology for Sustainable Water Reuse (2010-2013) MSU Strategic Partership Grant (Co-Investigator)

Qualtitative Species-Specific Identification of Human and Animal Viruses (2010-2013) Environmental Protection Agency (Sole Investigator)

Building Beach Managers Capacity for Using Rapid Tools (2011-1012) Environmental Protection Agency  (Co-Investigator)

Integrated Beach Sanitary Surveys Using qPCR Tools (2011-2012) Environmental Protection Agency (Co-Investigator)

Enteric Viruses Quantification and Infectivity in the Chicago River (2008-2009) University of Illinois at Chicago and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (Sole Investigator)

Water Utility Framework for Responding to Emerging Contaminant Issues (2009-2010) Water Research Foundation  (Primary Investigator)

Applying Advances in Pathogen Risk Assessment to Land Application of Biosolids (2008-2011) Water Environment Research Foundation  (Co-Investigator)

Containment Lysimeter Flow Regime Verification and Instrumentation for Evaluating the Trasport of Viruses and Indicators in Shallow Groundwater (2008-2009) Center for Water Sciences, MSU (Co-Investigator)

Fate of Selected Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water and Wastewater Chlorination (2008-2012) IRGP-MSU  (Sole Investigator)

Fellowship Program in Microbial Risk Assessment for Public Security, Safety and Health (2008-2011) Department of Homeland Security (Co-Investigator)

Evaluation of Membrane Bioreactor Efficiency in Removing and Inactivating Viral Pathogens (2007-2008) Center for Water Sciences, MSU (Primary Investigator)

Emerging Waterborne Viruses in Michigan Waters: Development of DNA-Based Detection Tools for Surveillance and Assessing Risk (2006-2008) Center for Water Sciences, MSU (Primary Investigator)

Environmental Fate, Resistance Development and Toxicity of Pharmaceuticals in Natural and Engineering Systems (2006-2008) Center for Water Sciences, MSU (Co-Investigator)