Environmental Microbiome of Premium Elderly Care Facilities in China: A Spatial and Functional Analysis

This study characterizes the environmental microbiome across key functional spaces (dining areas, medical facilities, bedrooms, bathrooms, recreational rooms, and corridors) in four premium elderly care facilities located in Jinan, Qingdao, Fuzhou, and Shanghai, China. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 320 surface and air samples, we investigated the composition, diversity, and environmental drivers of microbial communities in these built environments. Our findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in microbial structure, influenced by factors such as relative humidity, occupancy, and space functionality. We identified a core microbiome dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria, and predicted functional potentials including antibiotic resistance genes and metabolic pathways. This dataset provides a foundation for understanding microbial ecology in elderly care settings and supports the development of targeted hygiene and microbiome-informed management strategies to promote resident health.