Published: Jan. 10, 2018

Prof. Shelly MillerShelly Miller and her research group in collaboration with Professor Noah Fierer from the Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology conducted a study of the microbiome of 12 dorm rooms on CU Ƶ campus. The in ES&T investigated DNA and RNA viruses circulating in the air by analyzing dust accumulated over a one-year period on heating,ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters. Results showed “viral communitycomposition and the distribution of human-infecting papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses were distinct in the different dormitory rooms, indicating that airborne viral communities arevariable in human-occupied spaces and appear to reflect differential rates of viral sheddingfrom room occupants.” An earlier publication of this same project can be found and results were that the “sex of the room occupants had the most significant effect on the bacterial communities, while the room occupants had no significant effect on fungal communities.”