Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2025
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Isolation of Culturable Yeasts and Molds from Soils to Investigate Fungal Population Structure
Published on: May 27, 2022
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Yeasts Prefer Daycares and Molds Prefer Private Homes
Håvard Kauserud1, Pedro M Martin-Sanchez2,3, Eva Lena Estensmo4,5
1Section for Genetics and Evolutionary Biology (Evogene), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. haavarka@ibv.uio.no.
Microbial Ecology
|February 20, 2025
Summary
Indoor fungal communities differ between Norwegian homes and daycares. Daycares showed more yeast fungi, while homes had more molds, likely due to occupant density and age.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Indoor Air Quality
Background:
- People spend significant time indoors, where indoor fungi (mycobiomes) can impact health.
- Understanding differences in indoor mycobiomes based on building usage is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare indoor fungal communities in Norwegian children's daycare centers and private homes.
- To investigate factors influencing indoor mycobiome composition.
Main Methods:
- DNA metabarcoding of fungal communities from dust samples.
- Comparison of mycobiomes in 123 daycares and 214 homes across Norway.
- Correlation analysis with building occupancy and age distribution.
Main Results:
- Fungal richness was similar, but community composition differed significantly between daycares and homes.
- Daycares had higher relative abundance of yeast fungi (Saccharomycetales, Filobasidiales, Tremellales).
- Homes showed higher relative abundance of filamentous fungi (e.g., Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium).
- Higher occupant density in daycares correlated with shifts in fungal community composition.
Conclusions:
- Building usage, specifically daycare versus home environments, leads to distinct indoor mycobiomes.
- Occupant density and age distribution are hypothesized drivers of these observed fungal differences.
- Findings highlight the need for tailored strategies to manage indoor fungal exposures in different settings.
