Krueger Research Group

Dr. Krueger and his students are involved in a variety of research projects spanning physics, chemistry and biology, utilizing the tools of spectroscopy and/or computation. Currently, they are involved with several projects related to water quality and are part of the Global Water Research Institute (GWRI) at Hope College. Dr. Krueger is also actively involved with LibreTexts and with the Midwest Undergraduate Computational Chemistry Consortium (MU3C).

In particular, Dr. Krueger and his undergraduate research students are actively engaged in the following projects:

Studying water quality in the watershed of our local Lake Macatawa

We continue to build on a high frequency (weekly/monthly) dataset that we began in the fall of 2017. The data include chemical and physical parameters as well as microbial census data that we obtain through next-generation 16S rRNA sequencing. We use sophisticated statistical modeling to examine this massive dataset. A key objective of this project is to help Project Clarity in its goal of improving water quality in the Macatawa Watershed.

Improving drinking water quality for at-risk communities around the world

We work with mission groups and other NGOs to help them execute better clean-water interventions for communities anywhere in the world who suffer from poor quality drinking water. This work includes surveying community members and water quality at the beginning of the project to understand what the people in the community need as well as what their water quality problems actually are. We then work with the NGO to develop the best intervention and, importantly, re-survey after the intervention to assess the impact it has had on the people living in the community.

Detection of Covid-19 in wastewater

In mid-2020 our laboratory become the wastewater testing lab for the city of Holland, Hope College, and other institutions. In early 2021, we expanded and are now serving nine counties in Southwest Michigan. We’ve developed and improved PCR-based methods for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater with rapid turnaround (e.g., same day) on a production scale so that the information can be used as part of a strategy to mitigate Covid-19 risk. We are also developing assays for additional disease targets (e.g., influenza and polio) to provide cost-effective and equitable monitoring for other infectious diseases.

Training others to utilize LibreTexts

LibreTexts is arguably the world’s top open education resource (OER) providing free textbook and homework resources to anyone with internet access. Dr. Krueger is an active member of the LibreTexts leadership team and he, along with his students, regularly lead and assist with workshops that train faculty to utilize LibreTexts in their courses.

Developing improved high performance computing (HPC) clusters

Computation forms the foundation for much of Dr. Krueger’s research. He works with research students and Hope’s CIT staff to design and maintain the college’s HPC clusters; he has led these efforts on campus since 2003 (aside from sabbaticals). He is also the cluster administrator for the MU3C, which houses its HPC cluster on Hope’s campus. Krueger co-led the formation of the MU3C in 2003.