http://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_green_good_germs_make_healthy_buildings.html
Microbes; “tiny little organisms
living in in air, soil, rock, and water. Some live happily
in searing heat,” National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2010. These highly diverse organisms vast and
intelligent, causing us humans great pain, or could save billions of lives. Not
only could they impact the way we live our lives, but they impact our careers,
could architecture impact the different types of microbial ecosystems present
in different buildings? The video I watched was an episode of ted talks hosted
by Jessica Green, explaining why or why not we should build our communities
around ecosystems.
http://www.ufz.de/export/data/1/23691_UFZ_CMS__do_not_use_this_in_another_pages__.jpg
Jessica green takes a unique aspect on microbial
ecosystems, and whether they should impact our building construction. Explain
facts with constant references to their field trip on a college campus, this
was extremely useful. Among her data she introduced interested ideas of
ecosystems among separate areas of the building. For example, the bathrooms had
a completely different type of organelles then an office area, or hallways. This
concept isn’t a new thought, we all know that different germs are present in
different areas, but to know that the minute you completely walk out the
ecosystem separates. It’s like an invisible barrier blocking different access
and denials to different microbes. If we were to impact the way buildings are
made, for say more windows, light, different types of walls it would house a
completely separate ecosystem. If you were to think about this in a larger scale,
the week after visiting someone in the hospital you get sick the next week.
What if we could change that, in her data it is stated patients immediately contract
infections, if we could change that by increased the presence of more defensive
microbes we could save millions of life’s, save trillions of dollars and
decrease hospital visits tenfold.
Very interesting! I agree that the idea that different organisms live in different areas but it is still an important concept. Its amazing how microbes are so small and can keep us alive but at the same time can kill us. Hopefully new studies can be found on this subject and we can lean more towards keeping humans alive. Increasing the presence of defensive microbes and saving millions of lives would be an incredible accomplishment, although expensive!
ReplyDeleteMicrobes and Their Ecosystems
ReplyDeleteThis study seems like it could significantly improve human life, ecosystems play a huge role on Earth. I was unaware that even tiny microbial organisms have different ecosystems. I do know that there are millions of different kinds of microbes including harmful ones and others have the potential to keep us alive and healthy. I was surprised that microbial ecosystems are drastically different that some even act as barriers. This study could really help keep some illnesses at bay and less “transmittable.” Some rooms could be healthier than others, and we might be able to cure some people by removing and adding microbes by simply having them walk into/out of different rooms. I am also wondering that if we were to rid of all “evil” microbes if our own human ecosystems could be disturbed, because it seems like there needs to be a balance in the world. Microbial ecology is fascinating to me and I hope we develop the technology to broaden our horizons and keep the world healthy.
This is very interesting, to think that different ecosystems live in different areas of a building! Same could be said about houses also, whereas the kitchen has its own ecosystem where different microbes that control food live, and the garage where it is usually dark, cold, and dusty. With further research, we might be able to find a way to differentiate more types of microbes than what we know now, and it can help us tremendously whenever we visit hospitals or places where microbes thrive.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in other comments, this IS interesting. I was surprised to see that there are so many different ecosystems in one area. I like what Alana said, "it’s amazing how microbes are so small and can keep us alive but at the same time can kill us". I was never really interested in microbes, but learning more and more about them; it is definitely cool to see what they are all about. It’s crazy knowing that walking from room to room; there is a different ecosystem of microorganisms. Being able to visit someone in the hospital and not getting sick would be amazing. Every time I am around someone who is sick, there is always room for worry about getting sick myself. Studying microbial ecosystems could help save the lives of many people.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post! What does this tell you about the different microbial ecosystems in Dane Smith Hall. Did you catch different ecosystems as a class?
ReplyDeleteYes, this article truly does explain the vast ecosystems around us, millions of ecosystems thrive on the littlest environment, just as a class when we had swabbed many of the surfaces we had all got different organisms in the dishes. Out of all the things that I have learned it is how disgusting the things we use are, I think twice now before using any water fountain that's for sure!
ReplyDelete