Sebastien Faucher, PhD

Prof. Sebastien Faucher’s research program aims to understand the genetic factors and environmental factors that influence the survival and growth of water-borne pathogens in the non-clinical environment and their transmission to humans. The emergent pathogen Legionella pneumophila is the prime focus of this research program. This pathogen grows in engineered water systems. Metagenomic tools are used to understand the role of the resident microbiota and the genomic diversity of L. pneumophila. The effect of climate change and water system operation and disinfection strategies on the evolution of L. pneumophila is also studied through experimental evolution in model water systems.