Microbiomes of the Built Environment A Research Agenda for Indoor Microbiology, Human Health, and Buildings (2017) / Chapter Skim
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What effects could these organisms have on the health of human occupants and on such other factors as degradation of building materials? The characteristics of "healthy" indoor environments cannot yet be defined, nor do microbial, clinical, and building researchers yet understand how to modify features of indoor environments -- such as building ventilation systems and the chemistry of building materials -- in ways that would have predictable impacts on microbial communities to promote health and 1 his Summary does not include references.
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This Consensus Study Report reviews both what is known about the intersection of these disciplines and how new tools may facilitate advances in understanding the ecosystem of built environments, indoor microbiomes, and effects on human health and well-being. The report provides a vision of a future in which indoor microbial communities are better understood, and built environments can be designed and operated to improve human health.
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These types of environments have been the subject of recent research on understanding indoor microbial communities, yet there is enormous variability even within this subset of structures -- not only among building designs, systems, and materials but also among the social and economic charac teristics, densities, and behaviors of occupants and how buildings are related to each other and to external site and infrastructure. To illustrate selected points, the report sometimes touches on research conducted in other types of built environ ments, such as hospitals; however, it does not address a number of other special ized built environments, such as manufacturing facilities and transit systems.
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Nonetheless, advancing knowledge raises the possibility that future interventions to affect microbial communities in the built environment might be used both to reduce the risk of unfavorable outcomes and to promote beneficial or healthful outcomes. To develop effective interventions, researchers will need not only to define pathways that are relevant to human health but also to elucidate their mechanisms of action.
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Moisture from the air that becomes adsorbed onto building surfaces or absorbed into materials can be an important anchor for indoor microbial communities, as can the availability of nutrients. It is also important to note that the role of humans in built environments varies.
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TOOLS THAT FACILITATE ANALYSIS To make targeted changes in built environments that positively impact microbial communities, building designers and managers and material scientists will need robust data on the relationships among the multiple factors relevant to microbiomes in the built environment. As noted, the existing base of research is starting to provide information that connects building characteristics with the composition and function of indoor microbial communities, while ongoing research is exploring associations with health and other outcomes.
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In addi tion, improved quantitative data on human exposures to microbes and evidence connecting indoor microbial activity to effects in humans will be needed to strengthen links between exposures and clinically relevant health outcomes. Scientists also need to be aware of the effects of sample collection and handling on downstream data and on the assumptions and limitations associated with the analytic methods that underpin "omics" tools.
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The ability to draw larger conclusions will require multidisciplinary collaborations and consensus. MOVING TOWARD PRACTICAL APPLICATION An important aspect of this report is its emphasis on how future inter ventions in built environments may someday be able to change indoor microbiomes in ways that promote health, and on what practical steps can be taken to generate the data needed to support the development, assess ent, and eventual implementation of these interventions.
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• lucidate the immunologic, physiologic, or other biologic mechanisms through E which microbial exposures in built environments may influence human health. • ain further understanding of the beneficial impacts of exposures to microbial G communities on human health.
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VISION FOR THE FUTURE: MICROBIOME INFORMED BUILT ENVIRONMENTS The built environment interacts with the indoor microbiome in multiple ways that impact humans. Microbial exchange between indoors and outdoors, microbial growth and persistence in indoor settings, and human exposures to indoor microbial communities are affected by building design, operation, and maintenance.
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The priorities the committee recommends for inclusion in this agenda build on current research, as well as on the questions and potential research directions presented throughout the report. They highlight steps that can be taken in generating the knowledge necessary to fully understand how microbiomes in built environments impact human health and what can be done to ensure that buildings and their occupants are, and remain, healthy into the future.
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reas for further inquiry include fuller characterization of interac A tions among indoor microbial communities and materials and chemicals in built environment air, water, and surfaces, along with further studies to elucidate microbial sources, reservoirs, and transport processes.
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7. Refine molecular tools and methodologies for elucidating the identity, abundance, activity, and functions of the microbial communities present in built environments, with a focus on enabling more quantitative, sensitive, and reproducible experimental designs.
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12. Support the development of effective communication and engagement materials to convey microbiome–built environment information to diverse audiences, including guidance for professional building design, operation, and maintenance communities; guidance for clinical practitioners; and information for building occupants and homeowners.
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