Housemates may share more than a Netflix subscription and a mortgage – they also host an abundance of shared microbes, which significantly shape a home's overall micro-environment, according to a new study.
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago have found that the communities of microbes living in individual homes are unique and identifiable, meaning humans sharing a home have a similar microbial “aura.” And, these microbial passengers follow us wherever we go, swiftly populating new homes, and even hotel rooms, within less than a day of occupancy.
The study was conducted as a part of the Home Microbiome Project, which aims to understand how humans interact with, and influence, the bacteria in their homes.
The bugs were collected from seven U.S. families (comprising 18 people, three dogs and one cat), who dutifully swabbed their homes and themselves every day over the ...
