The human microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that colonize the human body. Over the last year the analysis of the microbiome of 250 healthy subjects was initiated, focusing on five body sites (nasal, oral, vaginal, dermal, and gut) and many subsites. This study began to build a catalog of genome sequences of culturable bacteria that inhabit the human body as well as described the community structure formed by microbial species, allowing diversity to be assessed between body sites and between individuals. The goal of this study is to extend these initial probes in multiple directions. The study will add 1,000 genomes to the catalog of bacterial reference sequences of the human microbiome by using automated methods to isolate organisms and high throughput DNA sequencing to construct genome sequences. The study will also further characterize the metagenomes of the 250 individuals by directly comparing DNA sequences from organisms in the microbiome, thus deterimining what is common or variant between subjects. Going beyond bacteria, the project will characterize the virome, the component of the human microbiome formed by viruses, and take a census of eukaryotic microbes in the human microbiome. The last goal is to analyze the transcriptional patterns of microbes found in metagenomic communities, and by this means determine what functions are expressed in the different body niches. These studies will advance our growing knowledge of the human microbiome in healthy subjects, providing a baseline for disease studies as well as new tools for probing the microbiome. Public Health Relevance: The human microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that colonize the human body. Over the last year the analysis of the microbiome of 250 healthy subjects was initiated, focusing on five body sites. This study began to build a catalog of genome sequences of organisms that inhabit the human body as well as described the diversity found between body sites and individuals. The goal of this study is to add 1,000 genomes to the catalog of reference sequences of the human microbiome, to further characterize differences in the metagenomes of 250 individuals by directly comparing shotgun sequences, to characterize the virome component of the human microbiome, to take a census of eukaryotic microbes in the human microbiome, and to analyze the transcriptional pattern found in metagenomic communities. These studies will advance our growing knowledge of the human microbiome in healthy subjects, providing a baseline for disease studies as well as new tools for probing the microbiome.

Public Health Relevance

The human microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that colonize the human body. Over the last year the analysis of the microbiome of 250 healthy subjects was initiated, focusing on five body sites. This study began to build a catalog of genome sequences of organisms that inhabit the human body as well as described the diversity found between body sites and individuals. The goal of this study is to add 1,000 genomes to the catalog of reference sequences of the human microbiome, to further characterize differences in the metagenomes of 250 individuals by directly comparing shotgun sequences, to characterize the virome component of the human microbiome, to take a census of eukaryotic microbes in the human microbiome, and to analyze the transcriptional pattern found in metagenomic communities. These studies will advance our growing knowledge of the human microbiome in healthy subjects, providing a baseline for disease studies as well as new tools for probing the microbiome.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Type
Specialized Center--Cooperative Agreements (U54)
Project #
5U54HG004968-02
Application #
7847463
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-GGG-J (52))
Program Officer
Proctor, Lita
Project Start
2009-05-22
Project End
2013-04-30
Budget Start
2010-05-01
Budget End
2011-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$4,282,289
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
068552207
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Lloyd-Price, Jason; Mahurkar, Anup; Rahnavard, Gholamali et al. (2017) Strains, functions and dynamics in the expanded Human Microbiome Project. Nature 550:61-66
Petersen, Lauren M; Bautista, Eddy J; Nguyen, Hoan et al. (2017) Community characteristics of the gut microbiomes of competitive cyclists. Microbiome 5:98
Rosa, Bruce A; Hallsworth-Pepin, Kymberlie; Martin, John et al. (2017) Genome Sequence of Christensenella minuta DSM 22607T. Genome Announc 5:
Weimer, Cory M; Deitzler, Grace E; Robinson, Lloyd S et al. (2016) Genome Sequences of 12 Bacterial Isolates Obtained from the Urine of Pregnant Women. Genome Announc 4:
Robinson, Lloyd S; Perry, Justin; Lek, Sai et al. (2016) Genome Sequences of 15 Gardnerella vaginalis Strains Isolated from the Vaginas of Women with and without Bacterial Vaginosis. Genome Announc 4:
Warner, Barbara B; Deych, Elena; Zhou, Yanjiao et al. (2016) Gut bacteria dysbiosis and necrotising enterocolitis in very low birthweight infants: a prospective case-control study. Lancet 387:1928-36
Deitzler, Grace E; Ruiz, Maria J; Weimer, Cory et al. (2016) Genome Sequences of 14 Firmicutes Strains Isolated from the Human Vagina. Genome Announc 4:
Lewis, Amanda L; Lewis, Warren G (2016) A New Catalog of Microbiological Tools for Women's Infectious Disease Research. Genome Announc 4:
Zhou, Yanjiao; Wylie, Kristine M; El Feghaly, Rana E et al. (2016) Metagenomic Approach for Identification of the Pathogens Associated with Diarrhea in Stool Specimens. J Clin Microbiol 54:368-75
Deitzler, Grace E; Ruiz, Maria J; Lu, Wendy et al. (2016) Genome Sequences of Nine Gram-Negative Vaginal Bacterial Isolates. Genome Announc 4:

Showing the most recent 10 out of 61 publications