Bacterial Community Variation in Human Body Habitats Across Space and Time

Abstract

Growing on You The human gut and skin harbor diverse microbial communities that are known to vary strikingly among individuals. Here, Costello et al. (p. 1694 , published online 5 November) analyzed microbial diversity among several distinct body habitats (including the gut, mouth, inside the ears and nose, and skin) of the same person at different times. They found that body habitat had more influence on microbial community composition than temporal differences and variation among people. Some skin locations, such as the index finger, back of the knee, and sole of the foot, on occasion harbored higher microbial diversity than the gut or oral cavity.