What is the Skin Microbiome?
The human skin microbiome is a vast and very large ecosystem of microorganisms that
occupy the human skin at the level of the hypodermis, dermis, and epidermis. It is very
numerous and very diverse, a real petri dish hidden in plain sight.
How the Skin Microbiome plays a role in the skin health?
The human skin microbiome is very tightly linked to the health of its host in numerous
ways. First of all the microorganisms of the skin microbiome prevent the colonization of
the skin by pathological microorganisms, and help to train the immune system to make it
more prepared to face pathogens. It also directly involved in various pathologies, like
atopic dermatitis, where its overall diversity is reduced and Staphylococcus aureus is
over represented.
Why studying the composition of the Skin Microbiome?
- Most of the previous studies which lead to understand the skin microbiome by
sampling human volunteers were based on North American subjects. Form these results,
current evidence suggests a greater microbial diversity to be a beneficial trait,
however there is a need for greater diversity in the participant pools from which
this data is derived. Thus, a study observing human skin microbiome among a European
population would give new data increasing our knowledge of the skin microbiome.
- Besides the current global environment wherein a significant number of people are
minimizing their interactions with other people is a good opportunity to observe
environmental impact on skin microbiome in a more simplified model.
- Also, by taking samples from the skin microbiome during the COVID-19 pandemic, we
will have preserved evidence of the influence of the social restrictions induced by
the pandemic on the skin microbiome.