BioKnit: development of mycelium paste for use with permanent textile formwork – Publication picking up international recognition
July 16, 2023
Collaborate with us! HBBE & Northern Bridge PhD Studentship
October 19, 2023
Very happy to share our New Publication! Greg Young, Angela Sherry and Darren Smith from the Microbial Environments team investigated the development of the built environment microbiome before, during and after construction of our unique living building, the OME.
The study used high-throughput targeted sequencing to explore complex microbial community development throughout the construction of a new build. Microbial sampling was performed all the way from site identification throughout the construction process and through to commissioning and use of the building. Following commissioning of the building:
- Bacterial richness and diversity were significantly reduced and community structure was altered.
- Greater longitudinal community stability was observed in outdoor environments compared to indoor environments.
- Community flux in indoor environments was associated with human interventions driving environmental selection.
- Increased environmental selection coincided with a reduction in outdoor community influences on the indoor microbiomes.
- Indoor communities became significantly enriched with human associated genera including Escherichia, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella spp.
The paper characterizes the initial assembly of bacterial communities in built environments and the data will inform future studies aimed at modulating the built environment microbiota.
The open access article is available to read at https://rdcu.be/dnMm4.
ABSTRACT
The microbiota of the built environment is linked to usage, materials and, perhaps most importantly, human health. Many studies have attempted to identify ways of modulating microbial communities within built environments to promote health. None have explored how these complex communities assemble initially, following construction of new built environments. This study used high-throughput targeted sequencing approaches to explore bacterial community acquisition and development throughout the construction of a new build. Microbial sampling spanned from site identification, through the construction process to commissioning and use. Following commissioning of the building, bacterial richness and diversity were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) and community structure was altered (R2 = 0.14; P = 0.001). Greater longitudinal community stability was observed in outdoor environments than indoor environments. Community flux in indoor environments was associated with human interventions driving environmental selection, which increased 10.4% in indoor environments following commissioning. Increased environmental selection coincided with a 12% reduction in outdoor community influence on indoor microbiomes (P = 2.00 × 10–15). Indoor communities became significantly enriched with human associated genera including Escherichia, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella spp. These data represent the first to characterize the initial assembly of bacterial communities in built environments and will inform future studies aiming to modulate built environment microbiota.
