They won the Ecology Prize for using genetic analysis to identify different strains of bacteria found in wads of discarded chewing gum in France, Greece, Singapore, Spain, and Turkey (Sci. Rep. 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73913-4). Two Ig Nobels were awarded for that most pedestrian of activities—being a pedestrian.
by Bethany Halford | September 09, 2021
And they have revealed thriving airborne communities of bacteria and fungi living on the dust particles’ surfaces. Morris has found that these microbes can aggravate asthma and other health conditions when the dust finally settles back to earth. Gregory Jenkins, an atmospheric scientist at Pennsylvania State University and a former colleague of Morris’s at Howard, points out that the AEROSE campaigns have also helped usher in a diverse new generation of atmospheric scientists.
by Ashley Smart, special to C&EN | February 22, 2021
Some droplets fall onto surfaces, but “over time, when they stay airborne for long enough, the water evaporates and they become droplet nuclei,” he tells C&EN in an email. These droplet nuclei are small, dry particles that are light and can remain airborne for long periods of time. Aerosols, whether they’re generated from a person’s cough or a flushed toilet, can carry bacteria or viruses.
by Laura Howes | October 04, 2020
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, along with thorough hand washing—both standard practices for helping slow the spread of viruses and bacteria. But consumers will be disappointed if they look for a product that specifically promises to kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
by Kerri Jansen | March 21, 2020
More than just dirt, house dust is a mix of sloughed-off skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic. It’s our detritus and, it turns out, has a lot to reveal about our lifestyle. For one thing, dust is far from inert.
by Janet Pelley | February 07, 2017
These instruments constantly collect airborne particles that officials regularly analyze for biological threats invisible to the public. Historically speaking, however, there are far more alarms raised by letters and packages with visible suspicious contents than by BioWatch’s aerosol collectors. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays performed on samples from the BioWatch network have detected potentially dangerous organisms 149 times between 2003 and 2014, according to a 2015 report from the U.S.
by Matt Davenport | September 26, 2016
Among the exhibitors was Germany-based Bitop, which showcased its 28Extremoin, amino acids derivatives from extremophile bacteria found in the Caribbean islands and intended to “prevent pollution-induced skin aging.” Chief Scientific Officer Andreas Bilstein explained that the amino acid forms a “water shell” that hydrates the surface of the skin and prevents skin damage from airborne particles.
by Marc S. Reisch | September 12, 2016
—A Bacterial Cloud Surrounds Humans Like An Aura “Microbiology: Distinctive microbial emissions could be used to identify individuals, understand and track the spread of diseases” Humans go through life surrounded by their own unique cloud of millions of bacteria. Now, for the first time, scientists have shown that these clouds can be used to identify us (PeerJ 2015, DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1258).
by Elizabeth K. Wilson | September 28, 2015