Microbial Community Patterns Associated with Automated Teller Machine Keypads in New York City

Bik, Holly M.; Maritz, Julia M.; Luong, Albert; Shin, Hakdong; Domínguez-Bello, María Gloria; Carlton, Jane M.

doi:10.1128/msphere.00226-16

Cited by 37 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…A total of 397 bacterial species representing more than 20 bacterial phyla were identified across aggregate samples, though nearly all sequences (at least 97% of each bacterial dataset) belonged to just three phyla, the Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, taxa that are representative of human skin communities and have previously been shown to dominate other urban surfaces, including the subways of Boston [12] and New York [31], and ATM keypads in New York [11]. As expected based on the distribution of the BLAST results (Fig 3B), many more bacterial taxa were present in Winter (385 species total) than in Summer (149 species total), with 137 found in both.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While our study design does not allow us to pinpoint the exact source of these communities, several studies have shown associations between human activities and the community compositions of skin and surfaces [49–53] and previous analysis of other NYC surfaces also detected “molecular echoes” [16] of human activities, particularly from recent meals, on both surfaces in the urban transit system [31] and on ATM keypads [11], suggesting that residual DNA/microbes may persist on a person’s hands and be transferred to surfaces upon use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each of us has a specific microbial “fingerprint” that is transmissible through exhalation or physical contact, potentially transferring millions of microbial cells per event [6]. Microbial communities within homes [7] and offices [8] are highly similar to those of their occupants, and surfaces frequently contacted by human hands such as keyboards [9], cell phones [10], ATM buttons [11], and subway holds [12] have microbial communities largely composed of skin taxa. Surface type, frequency of use, the identity of the interacting individuals, and biogeography also influence surface microbial communities [13–16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Filthy lucre: A metagenomic pilot study of microbes found on circulating currency in New York City

et al. 2017

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BackgroundPaper currency by its very nature is frequently transferred from one person to another and represents an important medium for human contact with—and potential exchange of—microbes. In this pilot study, we swabbed circulating $1 bills obtained from a New York City bank in February (Winter) and June (Summer) 2013 and used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to profile the communities found on their surface. Using basic culture conditions, we also tested whether viable microbes could be recovered from bills.ResultsShotgun metagenomics identified eukaryotes as the most abundant sequences on money, followed by bacteria, viruses and archaea. Eukaryotic assemblages were dominated by human, other metazoan and fungal taxa. The currency investigated harbored a diverse microbial population that was dominated by human skin and oral commensals, including Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus luteus. Other taxa detected not associated with humans included Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus, microbes typically associated with dairy production and fermentation. Culturing results indicated that viable microbes can be isolated from paper currency.ConclusionsWe conducted the first metagenomic characterization of the surface of paper money in the United States, establishing a baseline for microbes found on $1 bills circulating in New York City. Our results suggest that money amalgamates DNA from sources inhabiting the human microbiome, food, and other environmental inputs, some of which can be recovered as viable organisms. These monetary communities may be maintained through contact with human skin, and DNA obtained from money may provide a record of human behavior and health. Understanding these microbial profiles is especially relevant to public health as money could potentially mediate interpersonal transfer of microbes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Filthy lucre: A metagenomic pilot study of microbes found on circulating currency in New York City

et al. 2017

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“…Illuminated manuscripts are objects of great worth and value, often in the past elaborately decorated and 2 bound, emphasising their importance, not only as literary texts but also as physical objects of intrinsic and 3 spiritual value. Moreover, a contemporaneous collection of animal skins bound together provides a 4 remarkable biological resource, which may inform upon the husbandry of the animals and in turn shed 5 light on the assembly of the codex. The utility of parchment documents as a store of biological 6 information is confirmed by a number of molecular studies, which have successfully retrieved DNA 7 sequences from parchments and produced comparisons with modern reference populations of cattle, 8 sheep and goat [1][2][3][4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The York Gospels: a one thousand year biological palimpsest

Teasdale

Fiddyment

Vnouček

et al. 2017

Preprint

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26Medieval manuscripts, carefully curated and conserved, represent not only an irreplaceable documentary 27 record but also a remarkable reservoir of biological information. Palaeographic and codicological 28 investigation can often locate and date these documents with remarkable precision. The York Gospels 29 (York Minster Ms. Add. 1) is one such codex, one of only a small collection of pre-conquest Gospel 30 books to have survived the Reformation. By extending the non-invasive triboelectric (eraser-based) 31 sampling technique eZooMS, to include the analysis of DNA we report a cost effective and simple-to-use 32 biomolecular sampling technique. We apply this combined methodology to document for the first time a 33 rich palimpsest of biological information contained within the York Gospels, which has accumulated over 34 the 1,000 year lifespan of this cherished object that remains an active participant in the life of York 35Minster. This biological data provides insights into the decisions made in the selection of materials, the 36 construction of the codex and the use history of the object.

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“…microbial populations or gene flows in a variety of ecosystems, from coastal waters and drinking water systems to ATM keypads in New York, , and to global antibiotic resistance gene pollution over diverse environmental types(Henry et al 2016; Liu et al 2018;Bik et al 2016; …”

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confidence: 99%

The sources and transmission routes of microbial populations throughout a meat processing facility

Zwirzitz

Wetzels

Dixon

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Microbial food spoilage is responsible for a considerable amount of waste and can cause food-borne diseases in humans, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and children. Therefore, preventing microbial food spoilage is a major concern for health authorities, regulators, consumers, and the food industry.However, the contamination of food products is difficult to control because there are several potential sources during production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption, where microorganisms come in contact with the product. Here, we conduct the first study that uses high-throughput full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing to provide novel insights into bacterial community structure throughout a pork processing plant. Specifically, we investigated what proportion of bacteria on meat are not animal-associated and are therefore transferred during cutting via personnel, equipment, machines, or the slaughter environment. We then created a facility-specific transmission map of bacterial flow which revealed previously unknown sources of bacterial contamination. This allowed us to pinpoint specific taxa to particular environmental sources and provide the facility with essential information for targeted disinfection. For example, Moraxella spp., a prominent meat spoilage organism which was one of the most abundant amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) detected on the meat, was most likely transferred from the gloves of employees, a railing at the classification step, and the polishing tunnel whips. Finally, we provide evidence that 1000 sequences per sample provides a reasonable sequencing depth for microbial source tracking in food processing, suggesting that this approach could be implemented in regular monitoring systems. BackgroundAs the world population is expected to rise to 9.8 billion by 2050, the global demand for food will increase by approximately 70 % in order to satisfy human needs. Resolving this issue, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting valuable ecosystems is one of the greatest challenges of our era. Food security experts estimate that 46 % of the required additional food demand can be achieved by increasing food production, whereas the remaining proportion needs to be attained through sustaining the productive capacity (34 %) and better food demand management (20 %) (Keating et al.

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Microbial Community Patterns Associated with Automated Teller Machine Keypads in New York City

Cited by 37 publications

References 74 publications

Filthy lucre: A metagenomic pilot study of microbes found on circulating currency in New York City

Filthy lucre: A metagenomic pilot study of microbes found on circulating currency in New York City

The York Gospels: a one thousand year biological palimpsest

The sources and transmission routes of microbial populations throughout a meat processing facility

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