Computer Keyboard
Description of Niche
Where located?
The niche usually exists wherever a computer is present. Generally, computers are found in offices, homes, hospitals, and schools. Anywhere there is an outlet, there is a possibility of a keyboard and computer present. The only time a keyboard would be without a computer is when it is in storage.
Physical Conditions?
What are the conditions in your niche? Temperature, pressure, pH, moisture, etc. The temperature of an idle keyboard is dependent on the temperature of the environment. The temperature of a keyboard in the deserts of Iraq will be much greater than in the cabins of Alaska. The temperature increases slightly with use since heat is produced from the hands. In a laptop keyboard, however, the temperature is usually higher and could fluctuate more since the keyboard is attached on top of the computer. The temperature of the inner components of the laptop directly influences that of the keyboard. When the computer is under a heavy load, the inner components of the laptop could rise up to temperatures of nearly 90 C and still function normally, which would considerably raise the temperature of the keyboard.
The pH of the keyboard is affected by the materials that it has come into contact with. Generally, the pH will most be affected by the sweat from the fingers. The pH of sweat could range from an acidic 5.0 to a slightly alkaline 7.2, depending on the rate of sweat of the individual, with a lower rate of sweating equating to a lower pH. Since using the computer is usually a low stress activity, the rate of sweat will usually be slow and create an acidic sweat.
There is also oil from our finger tips.
The moisture of the keyboard niche will vary depending on the environment in which it is situated. Often times, it will seem dry. However, things like our breathe provide a little bit of moisture into the atmosphere, and the moisture has to settle somewhere. The moisture of the air is a key factor to the level of moisture of the keyboard.
The keyboard is usually mostly made of plastic, with some metal springs under the keys. There are some flexible keyboards that are made of silicone or polyurethane.
Influence by Adjacent Communities
There are many communities that come into contact with the keyboard. In general, the bacteria that lives on our skin, fingernails, hands, and anywhere the hands have been are likely to transfer new bacteria over to the keyboard. In a place where there is a lot of people moving in and out, such as a hospital or office, there is likely to be a good number of people that are sick, and through them comes the new bacteria that will eventually settle on the keyboard through the air or from physical contact.
Conditions under which the environment changes
The keyboard is a very dynamic environment. Food and drinks are commonly consumed in front and on top of the keyboard. This provides a constant source of food for anything that may be living there. Since the keyboard is constantly in contact with human hands, there will constantly be a stream of things leaving the hands and entering the keyboard or of course, leaving the keyboard and entering the hands. In the former case, bacteria from different niches could be transferred over if the hands have not been sanitized. In the later case, already preexisting bacteria will start to grow will transfer onto the hands and then onto the new surfaces that the hand will come into contact with.
Who lives there?
Which microbes are present?
You may refer to organisms by genus or by genus and species, depending upon how detailed the your information might be. If there is already a microbewiki page describing that organism, make a link to it.
Do the microbes that are present interact with each other?
Describe any negative (competition) or positive (symbiosis) behavior
Do the microbes change their environment?
Do they alter pH, attach to surfaces, secrete anything, etc. etc.
Do the microbes carry out any metabolism that affects their environment?
Do they ferment sugars to produce acid, break down large molecules, fix nitrogen, etc. etc.
Current Research
Antimicrobial keyboards have begun to emerge from the market. The majority of these keyboards utilize nano silver as a lining to help prevent bacterial growth. The reason for using silver is that it has a broad effect against microbes, which is useful for killing a large number of bacteria. This technology has been implemented in medical devices in recent years in order to combat the formation of biofilms. The theory is to make the surface inhospitable for bacterial growth and the formation of biofilm. Nano silver is usually in solution and will be embedded onto the surface of the device. When it comes into contact with moisture, such as from one’s hands or some sort of body fluid, it will slowly be oxidized and release the ionic form of silver. These silver ions have shown antimicrobial activity, which helps in preventing the formation of biofilm, yet the amount is so small that it is safe for human use. The claim of its safety, however, is still under research. Popular keyboard manufacturing companies like Companies like Microsoft and Logitech have already implemented antimicrobial technologies in some of their products.
References
Edited by [your name here], students of Rachel Larsen
