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The ecology of microscopic life in household dust

Albert Barberán, Robert R Dunn, Brian J Reich

    Proceedings. Biological Sciences
    |August 28, 2015
    PubMed

    Insights

    Your home

    Area of Science:

    • Microbiology
    • Environmental Science
    • Indoor Ecology

    Background:

    • Most people spend significant time indoors.
    • Understanding indoor microbial communities is crucial.
    • Current knowledge of indoor microbial variation is limited.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • Investigate fungal and bacterial communities in US homes.
    • Identify factors shaping indoor microbial composition.
    • Determine geographical and occupant influences.

    Main Methods:

    • Collected settled dust from inside and outside ~1200 homes.
    • Analyzed fungal and bacterial communities.
    • Correlated microbial data with geographical and occupant data.

    Main Results:

    • Indoor and outdoor dust harbored distinct microbial communities.
    • Fungal communities varied with climate and geography.
    • Bacterial communities were influenced by occupants (e.g., sex ratio, pets).
    • Most indoor fungi originated from outdoors.

    Conclusions:

    • Geographical location dictates indoor fungal communities.
    • Occupant characteristics shape indoor bacterial communities.
    • Home microbial ecology is influenced by both external and internal factors.

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