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COMPARISON OF POPULATIONS OF MOULD SPECIES IN HOMES IN THE UK AND US USING MOLD-SPECIFIC QUANTITATIVE PCR (MSQPCR)
Citation:
VESPER, S. J., L. J. WYMER, R. STOTT, M. RICHARDSON, AND R. A. HAUGLAND. COMPARISON OF POPULATIONS OF MOULD SPECIES IN HOMES IN THE UK AND US USING MOLD-SPECIFIC QUANTITATIVE PCR (MSQPCR). Letters in Applied Microbiology. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 41(4):367-373, (2005).
Impact/Purpose:
1. Develop and publish a standard method or guidance document for QPCR analysis of microorganisms in environmental samples (air and water filtrates and dust).a standard method or guidance document for QPCR analysis of microorganisms in environmental samples (air and water filtrates and dust). Publication will involve a consensus standards organization. 2. Use QPCR methods to monitor childhood exposures to mold as a part of field studies, in order to establish whether a relationship exists between molds encountered in indoor environments and asthma-related health problems.
Description:
The goal of this research was to compare the populations of 81 mold species in homes in USA and UK using mould specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MSQPCR) technology. Dust samples were obtained from randomly selected homes in Great Britain (n=11). The mould populations in British homes were compared with those found in typical homes (no visible mold) in the USA (in the state of Ohio, n = 45). Only thirteen of the 81 species screened showed significantly different populations in these two sets of home. Although only a small survey, the results suggest that typical mould profiles in USA (Ohio) and British homes are very similar. Analysis of 26 mould Indicator species revealed that the British homes fell into 2 clusters, tentatively identified as "atypical" and "typical" mould conditions.