Follow this tag to curate your own personalized Activity Stream and email alerts.
In the microbial metropolises that thrive in and on the human body, underground networks of viruses loom large. A closer look at human skin has found that it's teeming with viruses, most of which don't target us but infect the microbes that live there.
Almost 95 percent of those skin-dwelling virus communities are unclassified...Those unknown viruses may prune, manipulate, and hide out in the skin’s bacterial communities, which in turn can make the difference between human health and disease...
— Ars Technica
Further reading: Architecture of the Anthropocene, Pt. 2: Haunted Houses, Living Buildings, and Other Horror StoriesBetween Sampling and Dowsing: Field Notes from GRNASFCKStudy finds antibacterial soap no more effective than regular soapEven bacteria are architectsCities Of The Future, Built By... View full entry
Using tracer viruses, researchers found that contamination of just a single doorknob or table top results in the spread of viruses throughout office buildings, hotels, and health care facilities. Within 2 to 4 hours, the virus could be detected on 40 to 60 percent of workers and visitors in the facilities and commonly touched objects. — ScienceDaily