Latest Noah Fierer Stories
Bacteria from fecal material -- in particular, dog fecal material -- may constitute the dominant source of airborne bacteria in Cleveland's and Detroit's wintertime air, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study.The CU-Boulder study showed that of the four Midwestern cities in the experiment, two cities had significant quantities of fecal bacteria in the atmosphere -- with dog feces being the most likely source."We found unexpectedly high bacterial diversity in all of our samples,...
Findings have potential health implications as infants grow and developA new study indicates different delivery methods of newborn babies has a big effect on the types of microbial communities they harbor as they emerge into the world, findings with potential implications for the heath of infants as they grow and develop.The study, led by the University of Puerto Rico and involving the University of Colorado at Boulder and two Venezuelan institutes, showed that babies delivered vaginally had...
A new study has revealed that the existence of "personal" hand bacteria, as unique as a person's fingerprints and DNA, could become the latest weapon for forensics experts in their attempts to solve crimes and identify victims.According to a press release, the researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder who conducted the study "swabbed bacterial DNA from individual keys on three personal computers and matched them up to bacteria on the fingertips of keyboard owners,...
Unique human microbe communities have wide implications for human healthA University of Colorado at Boulder team has developed the first atlas of bacterial diversity across the human body, charting wide variations in microbe populations that live in different regions of the human body and which aid us in physiological functions that contribute to our health.The study showed humans carry "personalized" communities of bacteria around that vary widely from our foreheads and feet to our...
Are women actually the dirtier of the two sexes? The answer is yes, according to a new study that found ladies have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands compared to men. "One thing that really is astonishing is the variability between individuals, and also between hands on the same individual," said co-author and University of Colorado biochemistry assistant professor Rob Knight. "The sheer number of bacteria species detected on the hands of the study participants was a...
