Geomicrobiology of the built environment

Microbial colonization and growth can have significant impacts on the built environment, resulting in a range of effects, from discolouration and staining to biodeterioration and decay. In some cases, formation of biofilms, crusts and patinas may confer bioprotection of the substrate. This Perspective aims to discuss how geomicrobial transformations in the natural environment—particularly those that involve rocks, minerals, metals and organic matter—may be applied to understand similar processes occurring on fabricated human structures. However, the built environment may offer further strictures as well as benefits for microbial activity, and these should be taken into account when considering analogy with natural processes, especially when linking observations of microbial biodiversity to the more obvious manifestations of microbial attack. Environmental geomicrobial studies offer insights into the structure and function of the built environment microbiome.