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Honor Thy Lodgers? – Structure and Function of the Human Built Environment Microbiome

  • Markus Egert
Published/Copyright: September 5, 2018
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Tenside Surfactants Detergents
From the journal Tenside Surfactants Detergents Volume 55 Issue 5

Abstract

The microbiome of the built environment (BE) and its interactions with the human occupants represent a new and highly interdisciplinary research field. The BE is characterized by a great microbial diversity as well as very fluctuating environmental conditions and sharp gradients of physicochemical parameters, which significantly shape the resident microbiomes. A great significance of the BE microbiome for human health is obvious, but far from being fully understood. However, there is a growing body of evidence that antimicrobial and probiotic strategies will have to be balanced in a well-considered manner to successfully manage the BE microbiome in a way that finally is most beneficial for human health.

Kurzfassung

Das Mikrobiom der gebauten Umwelt des Menschen (BE-Mikrobiom) und seine komplexen Interaktionen mit den menschlichen Bewohnern stellen ein junges und sehr interdisziplinäres Forschungsfeld dar. Eine große mikrobielle Vielfalt sowie stark fluktuierende Umweltbedingungen und ausgeprägte physiko-chemische Gradienten sind typisch für Innenräume und prägen das residente Mikrobiom dort. Eine große Bedeutung des BE-Mikrobioms für die menschliche Gesundheit gilt als sicher, dennoch ist vieles noch unklar. Es mehren sich aber die Hinweise, dass antimikrobielle und probiotische Strategien gemeinsam und wohlüberlegt angewendet werden müssen, um das BE-Mikrobiom in einer für die menschlichen Gesundheit bestmöglichen Art und Weise zu managen.

Key words: Human microbiome; indoor microbiome; health; antimicrobial; probiotic
Stichwörter: Menschliches Mikrobiom; Mikrobiom im Innenbereich; Gesundheit; antimikrobiell; probiotisch
*Correspondence address, Prof. Dr. Markus Egert, Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Institute of Precision Medicine Furtwangen University, Jakob-Kienzle-Str. 17, D-78054 Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, Tel.: +49-7720-307-4554, Fax: +49-7720-307-4207, E-Mail:

Markus Egert (46) studied Biology and Ecology at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany. Subsequently, he did his PhD thesis at the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, in the field of Molecular Microbial Ecology, followed by a 2-year PostDoc period at Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and the Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences focusing on Human Intestinal Microbiology. After that, he joined the Henkel AG & Co. KGaA in Düsseldorf as head of the Laboratory for Microbial Communities, where he led projects in the fields of body malodor production and laundry hygiene. After a brief appointment as professor for Bioanalytics at Coburg University, he was appointed as professor for Microbiology & Hygiene at Furtwangen University, where he is vice dean of the faculty of Medical & Life Sciences. In addition, he is in charge of the Molecular and Technical Medicine study program. Markus’ main research interests are the human microbiome (intestinal tract, skin) and the microbiome of the built environment of humans.

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Received: 2018-04-03
Accepted: 2018-06-13
Published Online: 2018-09-05
Published in Print: 2018-09-14

© 2018, Carl Hanser Publisher, Munich

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents/Inhalt
  3. Editorial
  4. Editorial
  5. Review Articles
  6. Developing an Evidence-Based Approach to Domestic Hygiene Which Protects Against Infection Whilst Also Addressing Sustainability Issues
  7. Honor Thy Lodgers? – Structure and Function of the Human Built Environment Microbiome
  8. Dishwasher
  9. Micrococcus luteus – An Alternative Test Germ for Testing the Hygienic Performance of Commercial Freshwater Dishwashers
  10. Development of a Test Method for Analyzing the Hygienic Performance of Commercial Dishwashers Operating on the Fresh Water Principle
  11. Microbial Reduction in Low Temperature Dishwashing Cycles
  12. Laundry
  13. Laundry Hygiene and Visible Cleanliness: An Attempt to Predict the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Laundering Processes by its Cleaning Performance
  14. Test Methods
  15. Test Method Dependent Efficacy of Antibacterial Textiles
  16. A New Approach for a Practical Assessment of Antimicrobial Surfaces Based on a Stamp Assay to Quantify Transfer Routes of Pathogens
  17. Towards a Lab-Scale Efficacy Test Method for the Evaluation of Hygienic Laundry Rinse-Stage Disinfectants
https://doi.org/10.3139/113.110577
Keywords for this article
Human microbiome; indoor microbiome; health; antimicrobial; probiotic

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents/Inhalt
  3. Editorial
  4. Editorial
  5. Review Articles
  6. Developing an Evidence-Based Approach to Domestic Hygiene Which Protects Against Infection Whilst Also Addressing Sustainability Issues
  7. Honor Thy Lodgers? – Structure and Function of the Human Built Environment Microbiome
  8. Dishwasher
  9. Micrococcus luteus – An Alternative Test Germ for Testing the Hygienic Performance of Commercial Freshwater Dishwashers
  10. Development of a Test Method for Analyzing the Hygienic Performance of Commercial Dishwashers Operating on the Fresh Water Principle
  11. Microbial Reduction in Low Temperature Dishwashing Cycles
  12. Laundry
  13. Laundry Hygiene and Visible Cleanliness: An Attempt to Predict the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Laundering Processes by its Cleaning Performance
  14. Test Methods
  15. Test Method Dependent Efficacy of Antibacterial Textiles
  16. A New Approach for a Practical Assessment of Antimicrobial Surfaces Based on a Stamp Assay to Quantify Transfer Routes of Pathogens
  17. Towards a Lab-Scale Efficacy Test Method for the Evaluation of Hygienic Laundry Rinse-Stage Disinfectants
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