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 “You can see a molecular echo of what’s left behind,” said
Christopher Mason, the study’s lead author and a geneticist from
Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
He and his colleagues used nylon swabs to collect DNA from surfaces
in New York City’s subways, subway stations, parks and one waterway.
Altogether, they analyzed over 10 billion DNA fragments from their
swabs.
The fragments of human DNA found on surfaces in the subway reflected
the local population.
“The small traces of human DNA left behind on surfaces serve as a
mirror or echo of people who move through that station,” Mason said.
In one station that was flooded during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, they
found Mother Nature’s mark: germs linked to marine life and
Antarctic environments.
While some may think ignorance is bliss when it comes to knowing
what’s living on subway railings and turnstiles, the researchers
write in the journal Cell Systems that mapping a major city’s germ
profile can be helpful in the future.
The findings, Mason said, "establish the first city baseline of
microbial life under our fingertips."
“Now that we have this baseline, you can detect strong changes that
may determine if there is anything at all threatening,” such as the
spread of a disease or bioterrorism, he said.
For example, the researchers now know there are already traces of
DNA that match anthrax and the plague on the subway. Future
researchers don’t need to worry if they find the same low levels of
those germs in any future investigation into bioterrorism.
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“In the case of the plague, we see fragments associated with the
plague but not strong evidence of the plague itself,” he said,
adding that the same is true for anthrax.
Also, the researchers found, about half of all the germs they
analyzed for the study had never been seen before. Mason said that
may be because they can’t be grown for analysis.
Despite the unknown germs and the possible connections to anthrax
and the plague, the researchers say people shouldn’t be afraid to
ride the rails or generally touch surfaces around the city.
Even for people with compromised immune systems, such as those
receiving intense cancer treatments, Mason said it’s just another
reminder to practice good hygiene.
“The majority really of everything you touch represents a very
healthy ecosystem that mirrors what’s on your own skin,” he said.
SOURCE (PDF link):
http://bit.ly/1zUx4hL Cell Systems, online February 5, 2015.
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