We will always be outnumbered, but we may have a say in which
microbes we’re surrounded by, according to a new study that’s one of the
first to investigate how building design influences the microbial
diversity of indoor spaces. “Design choices at the level of a whole
building make a really big impact on the types of invisible organisms
that you see in a room,” said microbial ecologist Jessica Green,
an author of the new study. The work is part of an emerging body
research suggesting that design decisions — from the architect’s
blueprint to the choice of ventilation system to the materials picked by
the interior designer — help shape the microbes in our midst.Green thinks this type of research will eventually be used to design healthier buildings.
In addition to dust, Green and her team have also examined air samples and surfaces in Lillis Hall. In another recent study they found that rooms with a natural ventilation system that brings in outside air at night have microbial profiles more similar to outside air, compared to rooms with mechanical ventilation system that was turned off at night to save money. “What we found is if you have this really expensive mechanical ventilation system and you turn it off at night, you’re leaving this bag of microbes that people are immersed in when they come back in the morning,” Green said.
The interactions between building design, microbial diversity, and health might be stronger in other types of buildings — such as hospitals. Green is part of a consortium studying how microbial communities develop in two newly constructed hospitals, one in Chicago and one in Germany.
- More Here
In addition to dust, Green and her team have also examined air samples and surfaces in Lillis Hall. In another recent study they found that rooms with a natural ventilation system that brings in outside air at night have microbial profiles more similar to outside air, compared to rooms with mechanical ventilation system that was turned off at night to save money. “What we found is if you have this really expensive mechanical ventilation system and you turn it off at night, you’re leaving this bag of microbes that people are immersed in when they come back in the morning,” Green said.
The interactions between building design, microbial diversity, and health might be stronger in other types of buildings — such as hospitals. Green is part of a consortium studying how microbial communities develop in two newly constructed hospitals, one in Chicago and one in Germany.
- More Here
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