The trillions of bacteria that call your body home — collectively known as the microbiome — appear to be unique to you, like a fingerprint. That’s one conclusion of a detailed study of the gut, mouth, nose and skin microbiomes of 86 people. Over the course of six years, the bacteria that persisted best in each person’s microbiome were those that were most particular to the individual, rather than those shared by the entire population.

“Our results underscore the idea that we each have individualized microbiomes in our bodies that are special to us,” said Michael Snyder, PhD, the Stanford W. Ascherman, MD, FACS Professor in Genetics and director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine. “Your genetics, your diet and your immune system are all shaping this ecosystem.”

The new study, led by Snyder in collaboration with Jackson Laboratory biologist George Weinstock, who passed away in 2023, was part of the National Institute of Health’s Integrative Human Microbiome Project and was published March 12 in Cell Host & Microbe.

The research also found several correlations between the microbiome and health: For example, people with Type 2 diabetes showed a less stable and less diverse microbiome.

source: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/03/personal-microbiome.html