A Navel-Gazing Belly Button Biology Mystery For the past two years, Rob Dunn has been digging in belly buttons. Normally, this would be frowned upon, but he and his team are doing it in the name of science. So, proceeeeeed, my good man. The invisible microorganisms that live on and in us outnumber our own cells by at least ten to one. We know shamefully little about how those species, belly button bacteria and otherwise, interact with our own biology. We know perhaps less what species are even in there. So, to find out, Rob Dunn has been sequencing the genomes in as many belly buttons full of bacteria as he can swab. The biodiversity of the belly button seems to have more in common with forests than fauna. Species that are numerous in one person will be numerous in another, if we share them at all. Likewise, what’s rare in my belly button will be rare in yours, if it happens to live there. But then again, we may have completely different forests altogether in our navels. And despite the numerous never-before seen species that Dunn’s belly button surveys have turned up, the rabbit (belly button) hole seems to be getting deeper, not shallower. Why do certain people have certain bacteria in their navels? Age, geography, pets, diet, hygiene … we simply don’t know yet. So I, for one, hope Rob keeps swabbing and sequencing. Innie or outie, maybe we can one day get to the bottom of the belly button? (I suggest you go read Rob Dunn’s complete story at Scientific American. Image via abriz44 on Flickr and wildlifeofyourbody.org, and apropos of nothing, why the heck does Carl Zimmer have Japanese soil bacteria in his navel?)
Zoom Info
A Navel-Gazing Belly Button Biology Mystery For the past two years, Rob Dunn has been digging in belly buttons. Normally, this would be frowned upon, but he and his team are doing it in the name of science. So, proceeeeeed, my good man. The invisible microorganisms that live on and in us outnumber our own cells by at least ten to one. We know shamefully little about how those species, belly button bacteria and otherwise, interact with our own biology. We know perhaps less what species are even in there. So, to find out, Rob Dunn has been sequencing the genomes in as many belly buttons full of bacteria as he can swab. The biodiversity of the belly button seems to have more in common with forests than fauna. Species that are numerous in one person will be numerous in another, if we share them at all. Likewise, what’s rare in my belly button will be rare in yours, if it happens to live there. But then again, we may have completely different forests altogether in our navels. And despite the numerous never-before seen species that Dunn’s belly button surveys have turned up, the rabbit (belly button) hole seems to be getting deeper, not shallower. Why do certain people have certain bacteria in their navels? Age, geography, pets, diet, hygiene … we simply don’t know yet. So I, for one, hope Rob keeps swabbing and sequencing. Innie or outie, maybe we can one day get to the bottom of the belly button? (I suggest you go read Rob Dunn’s complete story at Scientific American. Image via abriz44 on Flickr and wildlifeofyourbody.org, and apropos of nothing, why the heck does Carl Zimmer have Japanese soil bacteria in his navel?)
Zoom Info

A Navel-Gazing Belly Button Biology Mystery

For the past two years, Rob Dunn has been digging in belly buttons. Normally, this would be frowned upon, but he and his team are doing it in the name of science. So, proceeeeeed, my good man.

The invisible microorganisms that live on and in us outnumber our own cells by at least ten to one. We know shamefully little about how those species, belly button bacteria and otherwise, interact with our own biology. We know perhaps less what species are even in there. So, to find out, Rob Dunn has been sequencing the genomes in as many belly buttons full of bacteria as he can swab.

The biodiversity of the belly button seems to have more in common with forests than fauna. Species that are numerous in one person will be numerous in another, if we share them at all. Likewise, what’s rare in my belly button will be rare in yours, if it happens to live there. But then again, we may have completely different forests altogether in our navels.

And despite the numerous never-before seen species that Dunn’s belly button surveys have turned up, the rabbit (belly button) hole seems to be getting deeper, not shallower.

Why do certain people have certain bacteria in their navels? Age, geography, pets, diet, hygiene … we simply don’t know yet. So I, for one, hope Rob keeps swabbing and sequencing. Innie or outie, maybe we can one day get to the bottom of the belly button?

(I suggest you go read Rob Dunn’s complete story at Scientific American. Image via abriz44 on Flickr and wildlifeofyourbody.org, and apropos of nothing, why the heck does Carl Zimmer have Japanese soil bacteria in his navel?)

Bellybutton Bacterial Biodiversity How what’s growing on you can help us figure out what we’re made of How can swabbing the belly button lint of a bunch of science folks teach us about how our bodies interact with the living world around us? Jason Tetro has the story at The Huffington Post: The body is continually in flux with the environment to find harmony between various kinds of exposures and the body’s reaction to them through the workings of the immune system. Inert or even mutually-beneficial exposures, such as good germs, will be allowed by the body and even encouraged. Those that are parasitic, such as pathogens, will be fought off and destroyed. As life goes on, we tend to hold on to the germs that we like and keep them growing happily with us as we continue our journey. Our bellybutton microbiome therefore reveals how each of us as a member of the Earth’s biome has interacted with and reacted to the dynamics of nature. For a species that is so interested in itself, we know surprisingly little about the microbes that reside on and in us. By identifying, sequencing, studying and connecting the various beasties in our bellies and elsewhere, we will know more about how our body separates harm from good, and how we depend on microbes for our very existence. Check out more at the Bellybutton Biodiversity Project. Previously: Journey through the Human Microbiome Project with the artwork of Perrin Ireland. (via HuffPo)
Pop-upView Separately

Bellybutton Bacterial Biodiversity

How what’s growing on you can help us figure out what we’re made of

How can swabbing the belly button lint of a bunch of science folks teach us about how our bodies interact with the living world around us? Jason Tetro has the story at The Huffington Post:

The body is continually in flux with the environment to find harmony between various kinds of exposures and the body’s reaction to them through the workings of the immune system. Inert or even mutually-beneficial exposures, such as good germs, will be allowed by the body and even encouraged. Those that are parasitic, such as pathogens, will be fought off and destroyed. As life goes on, we tend to hold on to the germs that we like and keep them growing happily with us as we continue our journey. Our bellybutton microbiome therefore reveals how each of us as a member of the Earth’s biome has interacted with and reacted to the dynamics of nature.

For a species that is so interested in itself, we know surprisingly little about the microbes that reside on and in us. By identifying, sequencing, studying and connecting the various beasties in our bellies and elsewhere, we will know more about how our body separates harm from good, and how we depend on microbes for our very existence.

Check out more at the Bellybutton Biodiversity Project.

Previously: Journey through the Human Microbiome Project with the artwork of Perrin Ireland.

(via HuffPo)

Source: huffingtonpost.ca

Carl Zimmer discovered that his belly button is home to 53 different types of bacteria. One of them usually lives in the ocean. Another one lives in the soil. In Japan. So even though he’s never been to Japan, Japan has been to his belly button. A fascinating look at a very unique part of our microbiome. (via Discover Magazine)
Pop-upView Separately

Carl Zimmer discovered that his belly button is home to 53 different types of bacteria. One of them usually lives in the ocean. Another one lives in the soil. In Japan.

So even though he’s never been to Japan, Japan has been to his belly button. A fascinating look at a very unique part of our microbiome.

(via Discover Magazine)

Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com