Ideas worth spreading

Are we filtering the wrong microbes?

671,887 views |

Jessica Green |

TEDGlobal 2011

• July 2011

Should we keep the outdoors out of hospitals? Ecologist and TED Fellow Jessica Green has found that mechanical ventilation does get rid of many types of microbes, but the wrong kinds: the ones left in the hospital are much more likely to be pathogens.

Should we keep the outdoors out of hospitals? Ecologist and TED Fellow Jessica Green has found that mechanical ventilation does get rid of many types of microbes, but the wrong kinds: the ones left in the hospital are much more likely to be pathogens.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Jessica Green

Engineer and biodiversity scientist

See speaker profile

Jessica Green wants people to understand the important role microbes play in every facet of our lives: climate change, building ecosystems, human health, even roller derby -- using nontraditional tools like art, animation and film to help people visualize the invisible world.

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Indoor airborne bacterial communities are influenced by ventilation, occupancy, and outdoor air source

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This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.