Plants alter microbial abundance and diversity in the built environment. Indoor Plants Microbiome

Plant microbiota has been identified as a key factor for health and growth of its host. Nothing is known about its impact on the built indoor microbiome, although people in developed countries spend most of their lifetime indoor. We show that the spider plant Chlorophytum comosum significantly influences the indoor microbiome. The abundance of Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota (fungi) increased on surrounding floor and wall surfaces within six months of plant isolation in a cleaned indoor environment, whereas the microbial abundance on plant leaves and indoor air remained stable. We observed a microbiome shift: the bacterial diversity on surfaces increased significantly but fungal diversity decreased. The fast majority of cells were intact at the time of sampling and thus most probably alive. Network analysis showed that most microbes were dispersed through the air and direct contact from plant leaves to surfaces. Plant incubation led to an enrichment of specific taxa including potentially beneficial plant-associated bacteria but also spore-producing fungi with allergic potential. This study demonstrates for the first time that plants can alter the microbiome of a built environment, which supports the global significance of plants and provides insights into the complex interplay of plants, microbiomes and human being.