Prosperi, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine who was hired under UF’s preeminence initiative, said the challenge in developing his proposal was coming up with an idea that would make the best use of both the MiniSeq and the car in a project that was scientifically sound, unique and focused on social justice. From the outset he knew he wanted to incorporate the car into UF HealthStreet’s efforts. HealthStreet is a community engagement program that aims to improve health of the community by bridging gaps in health care and health research.

Prosperi knew he’d found yet another role for the Mini Cooper when he learned that Mark Hostetler, PhD, a professor in the department of wildlife ecology and conservation at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, had successfully collected insect samples for analysis from vehicle windshields and bumpers, a study method Hostetler calls “splatology.”

Insect samples will be taken to the lab of Volker Mai, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of epidemiology, where the MiniSeq will be housed. Each MiniSeq run produces 20 gigabytes of data, which Prosperi and his team, including epidemiology doctoral student Jae Min, will analyze to identify pathogens carried by the insects.

“It is vital for us to increase our understanding of viruses like chikungunya, dengue and Zika,” said Prosperi, a member of UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute and the Genetics Institute. “Our study aims to understand the diversity of pathogens in Florida at the genetic and vector level, which can be used to implement infection control at a public health level.”