Mozzarella. Bubonic plague. Kimchi. Staph. What could these things possibly have in common?
They’re all among the strange set of substances DNA-hunting scientists identified in New York City’s subway cars and stations as part of a comprehensive new study.
The researchers behind the so-called “PathoMap” project found DNA from more than 500 species of bacteria, including some from foods as well as 67 known to cause illness.
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“This report is deeply flawed, and the interpretation of the results is misleading,” a spokesman for the New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene told HuffPost in an email. “The researchers failed to offer alternative, much more plausible explanations for their findings, which is a common best practice for scientific papers.”
The research was published on Feb. 5 in the journal Cell Systems.
To learn more about the human microbiome, check out the podcast below.
