New Findings in Man-made Environments: Interactions between Viruses and Bacteria

SKLMP member Prof. Patrick Lee’s research team has discovered frequent interactions between viruses and bacteria in man-made environments such as public spaces and infrastructure for the first time. The team believes that these virus–bacteria interactions may pose a threat to public health.

They collected 738 samples from various man-made environments, including public facilities and residences, in Hong Kong. The samples were mainly taken from the surfaces of handrails, bollards, floors, poles, doorknobs and skin of residents.  The analysis showed that viruses are integral members of microbial communities in man-made environments. There is evidence that these viruses help host bacteria adapt to nutrient-depleted man-made environments through unique gene insertion, maintaining their survival and evolution. In addition, the researchers also discovered many novel molecular mechanisms of interactions between viruses and bacteria and the possible spread of antibiotic resistance genes. The related findings have been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Prof. Lee emphasized the importance of improving the management of man-made environments and developing customized control strategies to reduce the risk of human exposure to harmful microorganisms and better protect residents’ health.

More information: https://lnkd.in/gg2bic6a