Microbes and associated soluble and volatile chemicals on periodically wet household surfaces.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microorganisms influence the chemical milieu of their environment, and chemical metabolites can affect ecological processes. In built environments, where people spend the majority of their time, very little is known about how surface-borne microorganisms influence the chemistry of the indoor spaces. Here, we applied multidisciplinary approaches to investigate aspects of chemical microbiology in a house.

Methods

We characterized the microbial and chemical composition of two common and frequently wet surfaces in a residential setting: kitchen sink and bathroom shower. Microbial communities were studied using culture-dependent and independent techniques, including targeting RNA for amplicon sequencing. Volatile and soluble chemicals from paired samples were analyzed

SUBMITTER: Adams RI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5615633 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature