Meeting: Applications, Promise and Public Implications of Metagenomics in Urban Settings

Just got pointed to a description of this 1-day meeting in New York on October 12, 2018… “It’s a Brave New World: Applications, Promise and Public Implications of Metagenomics in Urban Settings”.   Sounds like a great lineup of speakers and certainly a fascinating topic!   Meeting description below:   This 1-day symposium brings together urban microbiome …

What kind of DNA lingers on ATM keypads? Your food, your skin microbes…and (maybe) parasites

Amidst the November/December holiday chaos, myself and co-authors were proud to witness the publication of a neat new paper focused on ATM keypads in New York City. Yes, just like all other surfaces in the Built Environment, those ATM keypads are harboring lots of microbes and bits of orphaned DNA! This ATM keypad study was work that …

New papers on microbiology of the built environment, June 6, 2016

Microbes and the city The Metagenomics and Metadesign of the Subways and Urban Biomes (MetaSUB) International Consortium inaugural meeting report – The MetaSUB International Consortium – Microbiome (OA) Also see posts here and here. The Metagenomics and Metadesign of the Subways and Urban Biomes (MetaSUB) International Consortium is a novel, interdisciplinary initiative comprised of experts …

New papers on microbiology of the built environment, May 13, 2016

Today was an exciting day in the microbiology world with the launch of the White House OSTP National Microbiome Initiative in Washington, where the Who Is Who of microbiome research was gathered. Too bad I was not there! But I’ve compiled another set of nice papers and news articles on the microbiology of the built environment. Microbes in the City …

Interesting (but closed-access) review article on “Urban microbiomes and urban ecology”

This article, “Urban microbiomes and urban ecology: How do microbes in the built environment affect human sustainability in cities?” certainly gets points for an intriguing title.  Though it is sadly closed-access. I haven’t read the whole article, but it’s basically a review of a lot of microbiology of the built environment literature, especially as it relates …