Having a Dog May Mean Having Extra Microbes
11:54 minutes
Reporting in PLoS One, biologist Rob Dunn, of North Carolina State University, and colleagues surveyed people’s pillow cases, refrigerators, toilet seats, TV screens and other household spots to learn about the microbes that dwell within our homes. Among the findings: Abodes with dogs had more diverse bacterial communities, and higher numbers of “dog-associated” bacteria.
Segment Guests
Rob Dunn
Rob Dunn is author of The Man Who Touched His Own Heart: True Tales of Science, Surgery, and Mystery (Little Brown, 2015) and a professor of applied ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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About Annette Heist
Annette Heist is a former senior producer for Science Friday.