Scientists map body bacteria
Washington: American scientists have
identified over 4,200 species of bacteria that live in various
parts of a human body and mapped them into an atlas.
The researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder,
also found unexpectedly wide variations in bacterial
communities from person to person.
"Not only did the bacterial communities vary from person
to person, they also varied considerably from one site on the
body to another, and from test to test - but some patterns did
emerge," said Rob Knight, the lead researcher.
"This is the most complete view we have yet of the
microbial side of ourselves, one that our group and others
will be adding to over the coming years," he said.
Hoping that their work will eventually aid clinical
research, the scientists say it might be one day possible to
identify sites on the human body where transplants of specific
microbes could benefit health, according to 'Science Express'
journal.
"The goal is to find out what is normal for a healthy
person, which will provide a baseline for further studies to
look at people with diseased states," the research team said.
The study was based on an intensive analysis of the
bacteria found at 27 separate sites on the bodies of nine
healthy volunteers.
There are an estimated 100 trillion microbes living on
or inside the human body and they are thought to play a key
role in many physiological functions, including development of
the immune system.
Bureau Report