Dust and the aerobiome

Wait long enough and it will appear; dust that is, perhaps settling out in a recess in the room you are sitting in. Dust is an amalgam of sloughed-off skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic. In homes and offices, human skin detritus is the largest contributor. In addition, paraffins, nonylphenol ethoxylates, and azo dyes, including 2-bromo-4,6-dinitroaniline, are major chemical components of household dust.

 

Dust particles are also adept, especially where there is organic matter from human skin, of absorbing moisture and chemicals (including some chemicals that can impart antimicrobial resistance). There are also a lot of microorganisms – natural history all around us.

 

In this week’s article, I take a look at dust and microorganisms and what we can learn from aerobiology and the aerobiome. Find out more here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/all-air-dust-aerobiome-tim-sandle-ph-d-cbiol-fisct-d9fne/

 

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)