Built environment design for indoor health and microbiome in developing countries

"Humans spend 90% of their time indoors, where they inhale 16,000 litres of indoor air per day, and are continually in contact with surfaces, pets and people in the buildings. Microbes that widely cohabitate indoor space and interact with humans, can have a significant impact onhuman health. It is therefore of vital importance to manipulate/modulate the built environmental design and interventions to encourage beneficial microbial exposure, and to reduce the exposure to detrimental microbiomes. Prior research indicates that the indoor microbiome is mainly linked to the indoor design specification, as well as building ventilation system in the context of modern and well-developed western world. However, our knowledge on this in less developed countries such as China and Middle East is very limited, while these two regions have enjoyed a long history of architecture and cultural development.

This project will study the role of the built environment design in exposing humans to specific microbes in developing countries, and understand how the evolution of architectural design in these two regions impact on the human health and microbiome community. Both numerical modelling (hygrothermal simulation at both building and urban scale levels) and field measurement will be conducted. Applicants are expected to have a very good bachelor’s or master’s degree in the subjects of architectural engineering, building physics, building service engineering, environmental engineering or related subject. Previous experience on building environmental modelling especially hygrothermal modelling or indoor microbiome is especially welcome. The PhD student will be supervised by a great interdisciplinary supervision committee, comprised of leading experts in the areas of building/urban environmental design, archaeology and microbiologist at the University of Reading.


https://www.reading.ac.uk/CME/about/staff/z-luo.aspx