Search Results
Educational Resources
The microbiome is a term used to describe the specific collection of microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses) that exist in a particular environment.
… is a term used to describe the specific collection of microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses) that … Genetic Material … The microbiome is the community of microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses) that … In humans, the term is often used to describe the microorganisms that live in or on a particular part of the …
News Release
Researchers have now identified and catalogued more species - nearly 200 new bacteria and thousands of viruses - that reside on the human skin than has ever been possible, largely due to advances in bioinformatics and laboratory techniques.
… encountered many challenges to figuring out exactly what microorganisms live on the skin. One of the most useful … microorganism separately in a laboratory. But many of the microorganisms cannot be grown in such a setting because … samples and perform genomic analyses to identify which microorganisms make up the sample. “A microbe has a smaller, …
Media Availability
Researchers have used a new combination of microfluidics and genomics to fish out a specific gut bacterium from the sea of microbes in the human microbiome.
… isolating and studying many now impossible orhard-to-grow microorganisms implicated in health and disease, according to … Researchers have characterized the genomes of many of the microorganisms that live inside or on humans, but growing … microorganism by analyzing DNA from the pooled wells of microorganisms. This approach allowed the scientists to …
Educational Resources
Metagenomics is the study of the structure and function of entire nucleotide sequences isolated and analyzed from all the organisms (typically microbes) in a bulk sample.
… in a bulk sample. … Metagenomics, Genetic Material, Microorganisms, Microbe … Metagenomics is the study of the … is often used to study a specific community of microorganisms, such as those residing on human skin, in the …
Profile
NHGRI science writer Prabarna Ganguly spoke with Segre about her research career, what makes microbes so complex and her roles in science policy and anti-harassment campaigns.
… showing that there are thousands of newly recognized microorganisms living on our skin. What was the biggest … the invisible and potent relationship humans hold with microorganisms.  "I call it illuminating dark matter," says …
For Teachers
A microbiome is all of the genetic material found in a microbe, such as a bacterium, fungal cell or virus.
… the May 17, 2012 issure of Nature highlights the roles of microorganisms in the human gut and suggests that these … the human body. The article discusses the possible role of microorganisms in diabetes and insulin resistance and efforts …
News Release
The skin microbiota plays an intricate role in the human immune system, directing many immune functions and defending against bacterial pathogens.
… The underlying advantage, of course, is that the microorganisms that live on human skin-called commensals - … form is known as the "superbug" MRSA. Other skin microorganisms perform a wide variety of functions that help … reduce inflammation at injection sites by modifying skin microorganisms. The vast cosmetics industry might be roiled …
Research at NHGRI
The Translational and Functional Genomics Branch explores the genetic, epigenetic and metagenomic basis of human disorders.
… techniques to study all aspects of the genomes of humans, microorganisms that live on humans and animal models of …
Policy Issues
Synthetic biology is a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities.
… what scientists are producing with synthetic biology are: Microorganisms harnessed for bioremediation  to clean … much smaller compared to the genomes of most bacteria and microorganisms. Scientists  showed that it was possible to …