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Optimisation of the sampling method for skin microbiome studies in healthy children: a pilot cohort study

Recent interest in the diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses that make up the skin microbiome has led to numerous studies investigating the skin microbiome in healthy skin and in dermatological conditions. However, skin microbiome analysis is challenging due to relatively low numbers of skin microorganisms compared to mucosal sites, such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts. Microbiome results are heavily influenced by sampling methods.

Citation:
Smith A, Ghori NH, Foster R, Nicol MP, Barnett T, Pickering J, Whelan A, Strunk T, Wood F, Raby E, Fear M, Weston S, Campbell AJ, Hoyne GF, Bowen AC. Optimisation of the sampling method for skin microbiome studies in healthy children: a pilot cohort study. Frontiers in Microbiomes. 2024;3.

Keywords:
Skin; microbiome; 16S rRNA sequencing; FLOQ swab; skin scraping; paediatrics; dermatology

Abstract:
Recent interest in the diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses that make up the skin microbiome has led to numerous studies investigating the skin microbiome in healthy skin and in dermatological conditions. However, skin microbiome analysis is challenging due to relatively low numbers of skin microorganisms compared to mucosal sites, such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts. Microbiome results are heavily influenced by sampling methods.