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

Transcription

1 Microbiomes of the Built Environment: A Research Agenda for Indoor Microbiology, Human Health, and Buildings Report Briefing and Panel Discussion Join the conversation: #MOBEStudy Webcast viewers: submit questions or comments to builtmicrobiome@nas.edu

2 Committee Members Joan Wennstrom Bennett, PhD (Chair), Rutgers University Jonathan Allen, PhD, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Jean Cox-Ganser, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Jack Gilbert, PhD, University of Chicago Diane Gold, MD, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Jessica Green, PhD, University of Oregon Charles Haas, PhD, Drexel University Mark Hernandez, PhD, PE, University of Colorado, Boulder Robert Holt, PhD, University of Florida Ronald Latanision, PhD, Exponent Hal Levin, BArch, Building Ecology Research Group Vivian Loftness, FAIA, LEED AP, Carnegie Mellon University Karen Nelson, PhD, J. Craig Venter Institute Jordan Peccia, PhD, Yale University Andrew Persily, PhD, National Institute of Standards and Technology Jizhong Zhou, PhD, University of Oklahoma 2

3 Why understand the nexus of humans, built environments, and microorganisms? 3

4 Current Situation We spend the majority of our time (90+%) indoors Buildings house a wide variety of types of microorganisms that form dynamic microbial communities. Built environment microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, and fungi and other microbial eukaryotes; they may be living, dead, or dormant. Microbial research spans multiple disciplines, and all are needed to make systematic progress. Data needs to be collected in standard ways, and made fully available for analysis and comparison. 4

5 The Confluence 5

6 Statement of Task Examine the formation and function of microbial communities in built environments Assess what is known about the complex interactions among microbial communities, humans, and built environments, and their relationship to indoor environmental quality Explore implications of this knowledge for building design and operations to impact sustainability and human health Articulate opportunities and challenges for the practical application of an improved understanding of indoor microbiomes Identify a set of knowledge gaps and prioritized research goals to accelerate the application of knowledge Recommend additional actions to advance understanding of microbiome and built environment interactions 6

7 What do we know about how indoor microbes affect us? 7

8 Impacts on Human Health Demonstrated link between exposures to infectious microorganisms in built environments and human health Evidence of link between exposure to indoor microbes and development of respiratory and allergic symptoms particularly those arising from exposure to microorganisms that flourish in damp indoor settings Preliminary evidence suggests certain microbial exposures may have beneficial health effects, such as protection from allergy and respiratory symptoms including early-life exposures to diverse microbes associated with animals Impacts on non-respiratory outcomes, such as neurologic impacts, are less well understood

9 Many Open Questions Remain What mechanisms underlie health effects? How do factors such as stage of life, route, dose, genetics or health status affect responses? Can the building microbiome impact the human microbiome and what does this mean? What about health effects other than respiratory or allergic (e.g., neurocognitive)? 9

10 What do we know about the factors that affect indoor microbial communities? 10

11 Microbes Are Transported, Live, And Die in Buildings 11

12 Physical, Environmental, & Occupant Attributes Affect Indoor Microbiomes Microbes are found in indoor air, throughout buildings plumbing systems, in places with standing water or moisture, and on building surfaces Composition and viability of indoor microbial communities is determined by characteristics and dynamic interactions with: Outdoor environment and its microbiome (building site, climate) Building factors such as airflow, temperature, humidity, chemicals, building materials and maintenance Occupants: humans, animals, pests, and plants These attributes are also shaped by design, construction, occupation, and use of built environments including maintenance

13 Built Environment and Microbial Communities Indoor humidity influences survival and virulence of infectious microorganisms Surface moisture characteristics affect microbial growth (ex., mold) Surfaces can serve as sources for microbes for ex., exchanged from human to human through shared contact, microbes in or on dust on indoor surfaces, that get resuspended by activities such as walking or cleaning; microbes from indoor plants, pests, and pets. Appreciation of how buildings are designed and used in different climates is essential to improving understanding of harmful and beneficial microbial environments

14 Microbes Also Affect Buildings Contribute to corrosion and material degradation Form biofilms Biofilms can affect HVAC system performance and energy use Biofilms can harbor opportunistic pathogens in plumbing systems 14

15 How can we intervene to manage microbial communities? 15

16 Many Types of Interventions Type of interventions Physical Chemical/ materials Environmental probiotics Examples Changes in ventilation, filtration, and water temp Cleaning products, use of antimicrobial surfaces Intended to promote exposure to potentially beneficial microbes; not yet rigorously investigated Guidance is needed on how and when to intervene & how to measure success 16

17 Tools to Evaluate Interventions Quantitative frameworks to model interventions and their effects should: Incorporate information on building and microbial characteristics & health, energy, economic and other data to understand potential tradeoffs Aid in designing interventions Inform decision making and practical application 17

18 Knowledge Gaps Advance understanding of normal microbial ecology in buildings of different types and under different conditions Understand what constitutes a good indoor microbiome and which building characteristics foster one Test health-relevant hypotheses and clarify open questions, including biologic mechanisms of effects Enhance foundational areas that support research infrastructure standards and benchmarking; data sharing and access; experimental, analytical and modeling approaches Develop infrastructures and practices for effective communication and engagement with those who own, operate, occupy, and manage built environments 18

19 Vision for the Future Apply knowledge about microbes, built environments, and humans to inform the design, operation & maintenance of healthful buildings 19

20 How do we get to this future vision in which we understand enough to manage indoor microbiomes? 20

21 Research Agenda Characterize interrelationships Advance tools and research infrastructure Research Agenda Translate research into practice Assess effects of exposures on health outcomes Explore nonhealth impacts 12 Priority Areas To Accomplish 5 Major Objectives 21

22 Characterize interrelationships among microbial communities and built environment systems of air, water, surfaces, and occupants 1. Improve the understanding of relationships among buildings (site, design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance), occupants, and microbial communities. 2. Incorporate social and behavioral sciences to analyze the roles of people in the built environment. 22

23 Assess the influences of the built environment and indoor microbial exposures on the composition and function of the human microbiome, on human functional responses, and on human health outcomes 3. Develop and test health-specific hypotheses using complementary study designs (observation, animal model, interventional). 4. Clarify the effects of timing/stage of life, dose, and human sensitivity on the relationships among microbial exposures and health. 5. Develop exposure assessment approaches to address how combinations of exposures (microbial/chemical/ physical) affect functional responses. 23

24 Explore non-health impacts of interventions to manipulate microbial communities 6. Improve the understanding of energy, environmental, and economic impacts of interventions that modify microbial exposures in built environments; integrate data into frameworks for assessing the effects of potential interventions. 24

25 Advance the tools and research infrastructure for addressing the microbiome-built environment questions 7. Refine tools and methods for elucidating microbial community identity, abundance, activities and functions 8. Refine building and microbiome sensing and monitoring tools 9. Develop guidance on sampling and exposure methods for microbiome-built environment studies 10. Develop a data commons that encompasses standards, storage, sharing, and knowledge retrieval 11. Develop new empirical, computational and mechanistic modeling tools 25

26 Translate research into practice 12. Support the development of effective communication and engagement materials for diverse audiences, with the involvement of social and behavioral scientists to ensure guidance for professional building design, operation, and maintenance communities guidance for clinical practitioners information for building occupants and homeowners 26

27 What Can A Systematic Agenda Accomplish? Integrate expertise of health professionals, microbiologists, chemists, building scientists, and engineers Encourage quantitative, sensitive and reproducible studies Support development of new tools, models, and methods Build on current standards and benchmarking Increase access to data and knowledge Facilitate cross-study comparison Improve understanding, prediction and management of microbial communities in built environments 27

28 Committee Process 28

29 Committee Members Joan Wennstrom Bennett, PhD (Chair), Rutgers University Jonathan Allen, PhD, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Jean Cox-Ganser, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Jack Gilbert, PhD, University of Chicago Diane Gold, MD, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Jessica Green, PhD, University of Oregon Charles Haas, PhD, Drexel University Mark Hernandez, PhD, PE, University of Colorado, Boulder Robert Holt, PhD, University of Florida Ronald Latanision, PhD, Exponent Hal Levin, BArch, Building Ecology Research Group Vivian Loftness, FAIA, LEED AP, Carnegie Mellon University Karen Nelson, PhD, J. Craig Venter Institute Jordan Peccia, PhD, Yale University Andrew Persily, PhD, National Institute of Standards and Technology Jizhong Zhou, PhD, University of Oklahoma 29

30 Data Gathering 4 public information-gathering sessions in DC and California 45 invited experts presented their insights, including microbial ecologists and microbiologists, chemists, engineers, indoor air quality specialists, architects, public health professionals, clinicians Presentations and video available from study website: 30

31 Acknowledgements Sponsors Committee members Speakers & participants Reviewers Academies leadership & staff 31

32 Thank you! Report available for free PDF download at *archived video will be available following the event Additional stakeholder briefs coming soon If you would like to be alerted, 32