TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A University of Toledo scientist has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to address the threat to drinking water in northwest Ohio and worldwide.

Dr. Jason Huntley discovered that native freshwater bacteria can destroy toxins produced during harmful algal blooms. The grant will help advance that finding into real-world solutions.

Huntley is an associate professor in the UT Department of Medical Microbiology.

“This grant will enable us to extend our research to the next level,” Huntley said. “We did this successfully in the lab. Now we want to scale it up and put the bacteria to work in the water treatment plant.”

The three-year project will translate Huntley’s findings into technologies that can protect the drinking water for large populations across the globe.

Large-scale testing will eventually be done at the Toledo wastewater treatment plant.

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