Microbiomes of the Built Environment: A Research Agenda for Indoor Microbiology, Human Health, and Buildings

A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine evaluates research on the complex interactions among indoor environments, the microbial communities inside buildings, and human health. The time people spend in homes and workplaces is shared with diverse microorganisms—viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa—that are found in the air that circulates in buildings, in the plumbing systems that supply water and remove waste, and on surfaces from the most inaccessible space behind a wall to a doorknob that is touched every day. New microorganisms and microbial components are constantly introduced into built environments through pathways such as pets, plants, rodents, an open window, a leaky roof, and dirt tracked indoors on an occupant’s shoes.