A really interesting study from Rogawansamy et al explores the effectiveness of various anti-fungals on two common household fungal contaminants. They used a classic inhibitory disk assay, commonly used to test antibiotic efficacy and resistance. They tested Cavicide, Virkon, 70% ethanol, vinegar, and tea tree oil and found that the tea tree oil was most effective on both …
New “Built Environment” papers that came out in the last couple of days, covering microbes in indoor air, flooded areas in Thailand, and on money bills. Chamber Bioaerosol Study: Outdoor Air and Human Occupants as Sources of Indoor Airborne Microbes – Rachel I. Adams – PLOS ONE ..we used DNA sequencing of filter samples to assess the …
A new paper from Van Bonn et al studies the effect of a water change on the bacterial community of an aquarium. Unfortunately, only the abstract is available openly, but it seems pretty cool: The bacterial community composition and structure of water from an established teleost fish system was examined before, during and after a major water change …
Some recent scientific papers and popular science articles that I already included on my daily MicrobiomeDigest blog, but that I would like to share here as well. Feasibility study involving the search for natural strains of microorganisms capable of degrading graffiti from heritage materials – Patricia SanmartÃn – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation A total of 54 different …
Well this is very promising. The Science and Technology Policy Office of the White House has posted a Request for Information on “Microbiome Research”. Summary: Advanced sequencing technologies have illuminated vast networks of microorganisms that drive essential functions in all environments on Earth. The study of these communities of microorganisms, or microbiomes, is nascent, and …
A recent publication in Environmental Science & Technology and subsequent review on Phys.org gave a lot of promise for the technology of using microbes to clean up waterways. The study suggested that harnessing microbes is an environmentally sustainable solution to breaking down pollutants in water. I think ‘breakthrough’ is a bit strong of an accolade …
Appropriate song to play while reading this post: Farmhouse – Phish Just a quick post today about a paper that was published in Environmental Microbiology this week. Not open access, alas, but it looks like a good study. Exposure to soil, house dust, and decaying plants increases gut microbial diversity and decreases serum IgE levels …
A recent study from Su et al tests the effects of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) on the amount of culturable airborne bacteria in elementary school classrooms. As expected, they found lower concentrations of these bacteria with UVGI treatment. Only the first page of the paper is available, unfortunately, so perhaps this is already addressed, but it …
Appropriate song to play while reading this post: “Fade to Grey” by Visage A new paper in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology touches upon some interesting viewpoints. The paper is called Dysbiotic drift: mental health, environmental grey space, and microbiota, and was written by Alan C Logan. And it’s Open Access, which we all appreciate! The article, which is rather …
I know I am late to the game here but I am getting more and more fascinated by “chamber” studies in which people are placed in a sealed chamber and then emissions from those people (or from other things in the chamber with the people) are characterized. With ever improving sensors, particle analysis tools, mass-specs …