Studies on Infection Protection Researchers are studying microorganisms from the subway

Global project to improve infection control starts in Berlin
Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi are sometimes vital but often cause illness. They are everywhere in our environment and even our bodies are populated by millions of these microorganisms. As part of a worldwide research project, scientists from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) now want to find out which microbes are in Berlin's subways. The results should contribute to closing knowledge gaps and gaining new insights for infection control.

MMicroorganisms are everywhere in the environment
Whether in the water, the earth or the air: microorganisms are everywhere and even populate our bodies and our skin. Some of the tiny microbes cause disease, while others are important to our health. Most commonly these are bacteria, viruses and fungi. Microbes form a complex world with their own communities (microbiome), which is invisible to us and largely unknown. That's why scientists from all over the world have set out to learn more about the life of the microbiome. The New York-based project has been running since 2013, with the aim of comparing and documenting the community of microorganisms around the world in a kind of world map.

Researchers of the RKI investigate microorganisms in the Berlin subway network. (Image: philipus / fotolia.com)

Subway systems are ideal for sampling
So far, around 40 cities, such as New York, Moscow and Mexico City were examined, the project is now also in Berlin. Researchers of the RKI led by the project leader Torsten Semmler want to take samples of all relevant surfaces in the entire underground network of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) in the coming weeks, according to a joint statement from the BVG and the RKI. But why are the samples taken just in subways? "Subway systems are particularly suitable for penetrating this world. They are both highly frequented public spaces and an essential factor for the distribution of organisms, "explains Lothar H. Wieler, President of the RKI. "At the same time, however, they are largely unaffected by environmental and weather influences as a result of their underground construction," continues the expert.

Project aims to promote worldwide infection control
According to the report, the results obtained should contribute to closing knowledge gaps and gain new insights into global infection control in the international research network "MetaSub". "In fact, we still know relatively little about these microbiomes and how they work," said the president of the RKI. "What does the microbiome of Berlin look like compared to other cities?" "Are there any unknown microbes?" - Questions like these should now be clarified in the context of the research project. "By 2020, samples will be taken at our stations every year for this project. Like the scientists, we are looking forward to the results, "explained Dr. Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta, Chairman and CEO of BVG. (No)