Microbiology of the built environment

The built environment comprises all structures built by humans, including our homes, workplaces, schools and vehicles. As in any ecosystem on Earth, microorganisms have been found in every part of the built environment that has been studied. They exist in the air, on surfaces and on building materia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature reviews. Microbiology 2018-11, Vol.16 (11), p.661-670
Main Authors: Gilbert, Jack A., Stephens, Brent
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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631/326/2565/2134
631/326/2565/2142
631/326/2565/855
631/326/41/2529
692/699/255/1672
Adaptation, Biological
Analysis
Animals
Archaea - genetics
Bacteria - genetics
Biological Evolution
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Building materials
Built Environment
Construction materials
Ecology
Ecosystem
Ecosystems
Fungi - genetics
Humans
Infectious Diseases
Life Sciences
Medical Microbiology
Metabolites
Microbial activity
Microbial ecology
Microbiology
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Parasitology
Public Health
Review Article
Urban environments
Virology
Viruses - genetics
Workplaces
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Summary:The built environment comprises all structures built by humans, including our homes, workplaces, schools and vehicles. As in any ecosystem on Earth, microorganisms have been found in every part of the built environment that has been studied. They exist in the air, on surfaces and on building materials, usually dispersed by humans, animals and outdoor sources. Those microbial communities and their metabolites have been implied to cause (or exacerbate) and prevent (or mitigate) human disease. In this Review, we outline the history of the field of microbiology of the built environment and discuss recent insights that have been gained into microbial ecology, adaptation and evolution of this ecosystem. Finally, we consider the implications of this research, specifically, how it is changing the types of materials we use in buildings and how our built environments affect human health. In this Review, Gilbert and Stephens outline the history of the field of microbiology of the built environment and discuss insights into microbial ecology, adaptation and evolution. They consider the implications of this research, specifically, how it is changing the types of materials we use in buildings and how our built environments affect human health.
ISSN:1740-1526
1740-1534
DOI:10.1038/s41579-018-0065-5