Urban aerosols harbor diverse and dynamic bacterial populations
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory · University of California, Berkeley
Abstract
Considering the importance of its potential implications for human health, agricultural productivity, and ecosystem stability, surprisingly little is known regarding the composition or dynamics of the atmosphere's microbial inhabitants. Using a custom high-density DNA microarray, we detected and monitored bacterial populations in two U.S. cities over 17 weeks. These urban aerosols contained at least 1,800 diverse bacterial types, a richness approaching that of some soil bacterial communities. We also reveal the consistent presence of bacterial families with pathogenic members including environmental relatives of select agents of bioterrorism significance. Finally, using multivariate regression techniques, we…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 19.36
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 46
Authors
6- EBEoin Brodie
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
- TZTodd Z. DeSantis
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
- JMJordan Moberg Parker
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
- IXIngrid X. Zubietta
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
- YMYvette M. Piceno
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
Topics & keywords
- Ecosystem
- Multivariate statistics
- Species richness
- Ecology
- Urbanization
- Biology
- Environmental science
- Geography
- Zero hunger
Funding
- UDU.S. Department of EnergyAwards: -AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, Contract DE-AC02-05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02, DE-AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02-
- UDU.S. Department of Homeland SecurityAwards: DE-AC02-05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231
- JGJoint Genome InstituteAwards: DE-AC02-05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231
- OOOffice of ScienceAwards: Contract DE-AC02-05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231, -AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02
- BABiological and Environmental ResearchAwards: 05CH11231, DE-AC02-05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231
- LBLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryAwards: DE-AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231
- UAU.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases