Where is <i>Delftia</i> ? Implementing citizen science into the biotechnology and environmental science curriculum

The <i>Delftia acidovorans</i> citizen science project integrates participatory science and community engagement into three courses (ES100-Introduction to Environmental Science, BIOL2700-Environmental Problems, and BIT479/579-High-Throughput Discovery course). Undergraduate students enrolled in ES100 and BIOL2700 collected samples from various locations as part of a class assignment. Students in the BIT479/579 course analyzed the samples using automation and high-throughput molecular biology approaches to reveal the genetic diversity in a portion of a key gene ("gold gene") needed to produce the peptide delftibactin with gold detoxification properties. The project emphasizes the abundance of microbes such as <i>Delftia acidovorans</i> with potentially useful genes. The ES100 and BIOL2700 students were assessed using a pre- and post-survey and <i>Delftia</i> assignment. This study describes an approach to actively engage undergraduate students in interdisciplinary explorations of public science, further explores the presence and genetic diversity of a key delftibactin gene of <i>Delftia acidovorans</i>, and seeks to understand the environments in which <i>Delftia acidovorans</i> reside while contributing to the discovery of new knowledge.