Public Toilet Bacteria
It seems reasonable to assume that public restrooms are places where bacteria can thrive, but so far, little is known about the microbial diversity on the surfaces in these rooms. Few previous studies have addressed this question, and most of those that did, relied on cultivation-based techniques. Not all bacteria can be readily cultivated, however.Now, a new study, published in PLoS ONE and performed by an interdisciplinary team of the University of Colorado, has used barcoded pyrosequencing to illuminate the bacterial composition of the tiny communities that stick to the surface in public restrooms. Ten surfaces in twelve restrooms were sampled (aah, the joys of science…). These samples were sequenced, and the source of the bacteria was determined. read more