Franzosa and colleagues
used publicly available microbiome data produced through the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), which surveyed
microbes in the stool, saliva,
skin, and other body sites from up to 242 individuals over a months - long period.
Our
skin in particular contains an enormous diversity of
microbes, with about 1000 different species of bacteria including the Propionibacteria that play a role in teenage acne, Corynebacteria that can cause diptheria, Staphylococci that are frequent causes of
skin infections, and Lactobacillus, which is commonly
used as a probiotic supplement.