Architectural Design and the Indoor Mircrobiome

Architectural Design and the Indoor Mircrobiome

  The built environment is its own ecosystem, and architectural features in the indoor environment can change those ecosystems and the organisms living there.  Bathrooms and kitchens can act as sources of water or natural resources, the availability of which...
Bacteria on Classroom Surfaces Vary With Human Contact

Bacteria on Classroom Surfaces Vary With Human Contact

  The microorganisms inside the built environment often come from the occupants inside- mostly humans, pets, and plants.  How we shape and operate the spaces in that built environment, and how we use the materials within that space, can affect the community of...
The Lightbox

The Lightbox

  How do you simulate the effect of daylight on indoor house dust in a controlled laboratory setting?  By building homes for the dust, of course. In a recent pilot project, we created “lightboxes” to look at the effect of natural light on bacterial...
Your Personal Microbial Cloud

Your Personal Microbial Cloud

  Humans harbor diverse microbial communities in and on our bodies, and these can be readily detected in the built environment. Human-associated bacteria disperse into and throughout buildings by three primary mechanisms: (1) direct human contact with indoor...