Engineering indoor microbiomes to create sustainable indoor environments

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Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors, where they are exposed to a variety of contaminants. Exposure to mould and dampness in indoor environments is highly associated with negative health impacts such as asthma, upper respiratory infections, coughing, and wheezing. Indoor dampness and mould are found most frequently in low-socioeconomic status communities due to poor quality housing and less resources to deal with damaging environmental events. This issue is particularly pressing for Indigenous communities across Canada, where substandard housing is combined with vulnerability to climate change. As climate change continues, flooding and wet weather events will increase, causing more mould and dampness in housing. Fungal microorganisms (moulds) can thrive in carpet dust when humidity levels are high. Unfortunately, advancements in mould detection, prediction and control are limited. It is critical that we expand our knowledge of the indoor microbiome (the community of microbes in an indoor environment) to combat negative health outcomes and guide the design of equitable indoor spaces. The long-term goals of the research program are to 1) advance our fundamental understanding of fungal and bacterial interactions indoors, 2) complete in-depth studies to limit microbial growth and environmental exposures, and 3) produce solutions and new approaches to create equitable, sustainable, and healthy indoor environments. My short-term research objectives to achieve these goals are as follows: 1. Develop and investigate means to model and predict microbial growth in indoor environments due to increased moisture 2. Evaluate fungal growth prediction models in low-socioeconomic status and Indigenous communities to develop strategies for improving indoor environmental quality 3. Improve our understanding of indoor fungal and bacterial interactions through RNA metatranscriptomics and bioinformatics processes Results from this research proposal will lead to important advancements in mould prediction and the integration of mould growth modeling into building system technology. As an essential step in learning how to control indoor microbes, this research will lead to new methods for reducing harmful mould growth indoors. New anti-microbial materials will be explored and knowledge of the use of beneficial microorganisms in indoor environments will be expanded. This research will be accomplished by 2 PhD students, 1 MASc student and ~5 undergraduates who will gain significant skills in building science, environmental engineering, and indoor microbiology research. There is a critical need for highly qualified personnel (HQP) who are experts in both building science and the indoor microbiome particularly as climate change continues to wreak havoc on our building systems, increasing exposure to dampness and mould. This will position HQP to fill a significant need in the workforce and develop innovative approaches for equitable and healthy built environments.