Skin Microbiome

The skin microbiome is a diverse community of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and mites that live on the skin’s surface. It plays a key role in protecting against harmful pathogens and supporting the skin’s immune function.

Strain collecting and culturing
Skin microbiome strain collection focuses on isolating representative microbes from healthy or diseased skin to enable studying isolated strains. Culturing enables the expansion and phenotypic study of individual strains under controlled conditions. Whole‑genome sequencing then characterizes these strains at high resolution, revealing taxonomy, functional genes, and strain‑level variation. The strains are stored in the TNO strain collection.

Skin microbiome characterization
Characterization of the skin microbiome as complex ecosystem is essential to understand its link with skin health. Several methods are developed for skin microbiome characterization. Our host‑depletion swab methods enrich microbial DNA by reducing human DNA contamination from skin samples. 16S rRNA gene sequencing profiles bacterial community composition and relative abundance at the genus or species level. Shotgun metagenomics enables high‑resolution taxonomic assignment and direct assessment of microbial genes and pathways. Integrated bioinformatic data analysis reveals both microbial taxonomy and functional capacity across skin microbiome samples.

In vitro skin microbiome assay
An in vitro microbiome assay uses defined bacterial communities to model microbial interactions under controlled conditions. It enables the study of bacterial growth, competition, and response to external factors such as nutrients or compounds. Our bespoke assays provide reproducible insights into microbiome behavior while reducing the complexity of in vivo systems.

Strain engineering
Strain engineering of skin microbes involves modifying native skin bacteria to enhance beneficial functions such as antimicrobial production or barrier support. These engineered strains are explored for therapeutic and cosmetic applications while prioritizing safety, stability, and host compatibility.