High genetic diversity and variability of microbial communities in near-surface atmosphere of Crete island, Greece

Polymenakou, Paraskevi N.; Mandalakis, Manolis; Macheras, Michalis; Oulas, Anastasis; Kristoffersen, Jon Bent; Christakis, Christos; Terzoglou, Vasso; Stavroulaki, M.

doi:10.1007/s10453-020-09636-w

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…S2a-b. These genera can be also found within the most abundant taxa in other studies on very different urban areas[41,[69][70][71].…”

supporting

confidence: 66%

“…The bacterial core found in the near atmosphere of Madrid metropolitan area conforms a rich microbiome, stable across different spatial and temporal changes. Many of these core genera have been registered in other surveys in different urbanized areas [26,69,78,[94][95][96], which suggests that urban environments constitute an ecosystem with many similarities around the globe. series of airborne diversity, as in high elevations [4,33], tropical [22] or rural environments [37] show a greater diversity of habitat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Seasonal Changes of the Airborne Microbiome in a Large Urban Area

Núñez¹,

Moreno²,

García³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background Compared to soil or aquatic ecosystems, the atmosphere is still an underexplored environment for microbial diversity. Besides its ecological importance, the spatial and temporal characterization of aerosolized microorganisms is relevant for understanding allergy and disease outbreaks, especially in highly populated cities. Results In this study, we surveyed the composition, variability and sources of microbes (bacteria and fungi) in the near surface atmosphere of a highly populated area, spanning ~ 4,000 Km 2 around the city center of Madrid (Spain), in different seasonal periods along two years. We found a core of abundant bacterial genera robust across space and time, most of soil origin, while fungi were more sensitive to environmental conditions. Microbial communities showed clear seasonal patterns driven by variability of environmental factors, mainly temperature and accumulated rain, while local sources played a minor role. We also identified taxa in both kingdoms characteristic of seasonal periods, but not of specific sampling sites or plant coverage. Conclusions The present study suggests that the near surface atmosphere of urban environments constitutes a stable ecosystem, with a relatively homogenous composition, modulated by climatic variations. As such, it contributes to our understanding of the long-term changes associated to the human exposome in the air of highly populated areas.

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“…S2a-b. These genera can be also found within the most abundant taxa in other studies on very different urban areas[41,[69][70][71].…”

supporting

confidence: 66%