qiime_study_2192
Longitudinal analysis of microbial interaction between humans and the indoor environment
The Home Microbiome Project was a seed funding initiative to generate exploratory data on the dynamic microbial relationships between people and their homes. The proposal aimed to tackle two core hypotheses: 1-The dominant microbiota associated with human skin is rapidly transferred to surfaces in a home, masking microbiota signatures left from previous interactions with the surface, 2-The composition and relative abundance of members of the dominant microbial community associated with human skin are maintained following transfer to a surface. To test these hypotheses the project aimed to generate 16S rRNA data from hand, foot and gut samples of 18 individuals in seven representative groups. In addition, we proposed to collect surface samples from two internal door knobs, a kitchen counter, the bedroom and bathroom floors and a light switch from each surveyed home, every-other day for two weeks prior to moving in and four weeks following the move into a new home (Table 1). The Home Microbiome Study collected a total of 1,609 microbial samples from seven houses, 18 people, three dogs, and one cat. The people comprised 3 children under 10 years old, and 15 adults over 20 years old. The children comprised 2 males and 1 female in separate houses. The adults comprised 7 females and 8 males. Metadata regarding basic demographics of the individuals and temp, humidity and dew point for each room being analyzed.