1
|
McGuinness AJ, Stinson LF, Snelson M, Loughman A, Stringer A, Hannan AJ, Cowan CSM, Jama HA, Caparros-Martin JA, West ML, Wardill HR. From hype to hope: Considerations in conducting robust microbiome science. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:120-130. [PMID: 37806533 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbiome science has been one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving research fields in the past two decades. Breakthroughs in technologies including DNA sequencing have meant that the trillions of microbes (particularly bacteria) inhabiting human biological niches (particularly the gut) can be profiled and analysed in exquisite detail. This microbiome profiling has profound impacts across many fields of research, especially biomedical science, with implications for how we understand and ultimately treat a wide range of human disorders. However, like many great scientific frontiers in human history, the pioneering nature of microbiome research comes with a multitude of challenges and potential pitfalls. These include the reproducibility and robustness of microbiome science, especially in its applications to human health outcomes. In this article, we address the enormous promise of microbiome science and its many challenges, proposing constructive solutions to enhance the reproducibility and robustness of research in this nascent field. The optimisation of microbiome science spans research design, implementation and analysis, and we discuss specific aspects such as the importance of ecological principals and functionality, challenges with microbiome-modulating therapies and the consideration of confounding, alternative options for microbiome sequencing, and the potential of machine learning and computational science to advance the field. The power of microbiome science promises to revolutionise our understanding of many diseases and provide new approaches to prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amelia J McGuinness
- Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine and Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Lisa F Stinson
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew Snelson
- Hypertension Research Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Amy Loughman
- Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine and Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Andrea Stringer
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | | | - Hamdi A Jama
- Hypertension Research Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Madeline L West
- Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine and Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Hannah R Wardill
- Supportive Oncology Research Group, Precision Medicine (Cancer), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Manus MB, Sardaro MLS, Dada O, Davis MI, Romoff MR, Torello SG, Ubadigbo E, Wu RC, Miller ES, Amato KR. Interactions with alloparents are associated with the diversity of infant skin and fecal bacterial communities in Chicago, United States. Am J Hum Biol 2023:e23972. [PMID: 37632331 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social interactions shape the infant microbiome by providing opportunities for caregivers to spread bacteria through physical contact. With most research focused on the impact of maternal-infant contact on the infant gut microbiome, it is unclear how alloparents (i.e., caregivers other than the parents) influence the bacterial communities of infant body sites that are frequently contacted during bouts of caregiving, including the skin. METHODS To begin to understand how allocare may influence the diversity of the infant microbiome, detailed questionnaire data on infant-alloparent relationships and specific allocare behaviors were coupled with skin and fecal microbiome samples (four body sites) from 48 infants living in Chicago, United States. RESULTS Data from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing indicated that infant skin and fecal bacterial diversity showed strong associations (positive and negative) to having female adult alloparents. Alloparental feeding and co-sleeping displayed stronger associations to infant bacterial diversity compared to playing or holding. The associations with allocare behaviors differed in magnitude and direction across infant body sites. Bacterial relative abundances varied by infant-alloparent relationship and breastfeeding status. CONCLUSION This study provides some of the first evidence of an association between allocare and infant skin and fecal bacterial diversity. The results suggest that infants' exposure to bacteria from the social environment may vary based on infant-alloparent relationships and allocare behaviors. Since the microbiome influences immune system development, variation in allocare that impacts the diversity of infant bacterial communities may be an underexplored dimension of the social determinants of health in early life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Manus
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Savo Sardaro
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Human Science and Promotion of the Quality of Life, University of San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Omolola Dada
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Maya I Davis
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Melissa R Romoff
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Stephanie G Torello
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Esther Ubadigbo
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Rebecca C Wu
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily S Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Manus MB, Watson E, Kuthyar S, Carba D, Belarmino NM, McDade TW, Kuzawa CW, Amato KR. Prenatal household size and composition are associated with infant fecal bacterial diversity in Cebu, Philippines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:45-58. [PMID: 36847111 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The gut microbiome (GM) connects physical and social environments to infant health. Since the infant GM affects immune system development, there is interest in understanding how infants acquire microbes from mothers and other household members. MATERIALS AND METHODS As a part of the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS), we paired fecal samples (proxy for the GM) collected from infants living in Metro Cebu, Philippines at 2 weeks (N = 39) and 6 months (N = 36) with maternal interviews about prenatal household composition. We hypothesized that relationships between prenatal household size and composition and infant GM bacterial diversity (as measured in fecal samples) would vary by infant age, as well as by household member age and sex. We also hypothesized that infant GM bacterial abundances would differ by prenatal household size and composition. RESULTS Data from 16 S rRNA bacterial gene sequencing show that prenatal household size was the most precise estimator of infant GM bacterial diversity, and that the direction of the association between this variable and infant GM bacterial diversity changed between the two time points. The abundances of bacterial families in the infant GM varied by prenatal household variables. CONCLUSIONS Results highlight the contributions of various household sources to the bacterial diversity of the infant GM, and suggest that prenatal household size is a useful measure for estimating infant GM bacterial diversity in this cohort. Future research should measure the effect of specific sources of household bacterial exposures, including social interactions with caregivers, on the infant GM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Manus
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Elijah Watson
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Sahana Kuthyar
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Delia Carba
- Office of Population Studies, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Nikola M Belarmino
- Office of Population Studies, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mills JG, Selway CA, Thomas T, Weyrich LS, Lowe AJ. Schoolyard Biodiversity Determines Short-Term Recovery of Disturbed Skin Microbiota in Children. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:1-12. [PMID: 35689685 PMCID: PMC9188306 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Creating biodiverse urban habitat has been proposed, with growing empirical support, as an intervention for increasing human microbial diversity and reducing associated diseases. However, ecological understanding of urban biodiversity interventions on human skin microbiota remains limited. Here, we experimentally test the hypotheses that disturbed skin microbiota recover better in outdoor schoolyard environments and that greater biodiversity provides a greater response. Repeating the experiment three times, we disturbed skin microbiota of fifty-seven healthy 10-to-11-year-old students with a skin swab (i.e., cleaning), then exposed them to one school environment-either a 'classroom' (n = 20), 'sports field' (n = 14), or biodiverse 'forest' (n = 23)-for 45 min. Another skin swab followed the exposure to compare 'before' and 'after' microbial communities. After 45 min, the disturbance immediately followed by outdoor exposure, especially the 'forest', had an enriching and diversifying effect on skin microbiota, while 'classroom' exposure homogenised inter-personal variability. Each effect compounded over consecutive days indicating longer-term exposure outcomes. The experimental disturbance also reduced the core skin microbiota, and only outdoor environments were able to replenish lost species richness to core membership (n species > 50% prevalent). Overall, we find that environmental setting, especially including biodiversity, is important in human microbiota recovery periods and that the outdoors provide resilience to skin communities. This work also has implications for the inclusion of short periods of outside or forest exposure in school scheduling. Future investigations of the health impacts of permanent urban biodiversity interventions are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob G Mills
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Caitlin A Selway
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales, Bidjigal Country, Sydney, Australia
| | - Laura S Weyrich
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, USA
| | - Andrew J Lowe
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|