"Bugs are winning out, and that's a good thing according to NASA's Human Research Program. As part of NASA's One-Year Mission, researchers are studying how microbes living on astronauts' skin, inside their bodies and on the International Space Station impact their health. To prepare for a journey to Mars, it is important to understand how long-duration spaceflight affects microorganisms because changes to this complex ecosystem could be detrimental to future missions."
I feel like a lot of people underestimate how important the relationship we have with the microbes is. I honestly feel bad for people who are germaphobes, I imagine they don't react well to finding out their body has 10 times as many bacterial cells than human cells. Also, on a somewhat tangential subject, a quick word of caution. Probably should avoid antimicrobial soaps or other products that use Triclosan, there's research showing it can potentially have negative health impacts. There's also little evidence antimicrobial soap is any more effective than normal soap, so why risk it.
Even though I was taught that it is not truly summer until you eat a pound of dirt and maybe touch a dead animal or two, I still do not like staying in a hotel in that respect! Not the sheets at least! :) But I think I caught VD from a motel toilet once. There is so much forensic work being done on biological and microbiological evidence right not that may even supersede fingerprinting and the DNA analysis. Or at least support or deny it in the near future. Apparently microbial communities are individual, do not change much over time and also may indicate who you have been with. And they may supposedly, in an experimental sense at this point, be swabbed from even a smeared finger print, some sweat or skin oil or somewhere that DNA is not viable. Supposedly the traces can be detected up to 4 days in the past at this point. I am sure that we even still have a lot to learn from tardigrades. And Agh... that is the best article I have seen about it tonight but I will edit if I find the best one.
Yeah, the idea that our body is a unique microbiome is fascinating. There's a pretty interesting study about the diversity of bacteria in the bellybutton alone. The fact that one individual was found to have extremophiles living in their bellybutton is quite mind-boggling. I'm interested to see what kinds of effects our interactions with microbes are causing, especially since there's a pretty limited understanding right now. An in-depth study focused on human health was launched in 2008, but we're probably still a ways out from seeing any major results. I'm looking forward to what kinds of discoveries can be made as our monitoring methods and relevant tech improves.
That is a brilliant thesis/grant proposal. Few if any consciously scrub out their belly button but we all dig some lint out of their on a regular basis and can all relate to the topic. Love it!