Skin Microbiome: Looking Back to Move Forward

Overview

Journal J Invest Dermatol

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Dermatology

Date 2011 Dec 23

PMID 22189793

Citations 122

Authors

Heidi H Kong

Julia A Segre

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea, and small arthropods colonize the skin surface, collectively comprising the skin microbiome. Generations of researchers have classified these microbes as transient versus resident, beneficial versus pathogenic, and collaborators versus adversaries. Culturing and direct sequencing of microbial inhabitants identified distinct populations present at skin surface sites. Herein, we explore the history of this field, describe findings from the current molecular sequencing era, and consider the future of investigating how microbes and antimicrobial therapy contribute to human health.

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