INTRODUCTION

Global City Sampling Day

Global City Sampling Day (gCSD) is a synchronized event that takes place annually on June 21st. During gCSD samples of DNA, RNA and microbes from surfaces in subways, buses, airports and other well-traveled public spaces are collected across the world’s cities

The collected samples will be then be sequenced and analyzed to develop a genetic and epigenetic map detailing the community of microorganisms that inhabit each participating city, known as its microbiome.

PROJECT STATUS: Ongoing

2016 - Present

METASUB INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM

In order to collect samples on such a scale this project relies heavily on members of the MetaSUB International Consortium. This is a group of experts across many fields, including genomics, data analysis, engineering, public health, and architecture all from different institutions, laboratories and facilities.

On this day scientists, researchers, students and even trained citizen scientists collect samples

In these past few years, this novel work has characterized the microbiota and metagenome of urban environments and transit systems and demonstrated species-specificity to certain areas of a city, “molecular echoes” of environmental events, and even a forensic capacity for geospatial metagenomic data.

These data are especially helpful for understanding the sites of greatest points of contact between humans and the microbial world within cities, such as their subways or mass-transit system.

Data produced here will be evaluated in the context of microbiota of another >50 urban environments from all 6 main continents, which has the potential of tracing back the origin of some organisms.

Since the majority of the world’s population (54 %) currently resides in cities, the use of integrative functional genomic methods to elucidate the molecular dynamics (DNA, RNA, proteins, and small molecules) and ecosystems of cities has potentially large implications for the sustainability, security, safety, and future planning of cities.

Next Global City Sampling Day in:

NEWS & EVENTS

GLOBAL CITY SAMPLING DAY

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS