New PreMiEr Publication: Americans Show Cautious Support for Microbiome Engineering in Disaster Shelters
A new PreMiEr survey of 1,000 U.S. adults finds cautious but real public support for using microbiome engineering to combat mold in disaster relief shelters, with trust and perceived effectiveness as the strongest predictors of acceptance.
A nationally representative survey of 1,000 U.S. adults finds that the public is cautiously open to using microbiome engineering to control mold in disaster relief shelters, but that support is shaped heavily by trust, perceived effectiveness, and emotional response. The study, the first of its kind, was conducted by PreMiEr researchers and published in Environment Systems and Decisions. Mold is a persistent problem in emergency housing due to moisture, limited ventilation, and crowded conditions, and existing solutions often face logistical and health-related constraints. The survey found that people most willing to adopt microbiome-engineered solutions tended to trust the technology and believe it would work, while those who had previously sought out information on the topic were often more cautious. Support for testing and survivor education was consistently high across groups. Researchers say the findings highlight the need to engage the public early in developing microbiome-based interventions, especially in post-disaster settings where vulnerability and trust are paramount.
Read more here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-025-10062-x