Seeking to understand what constitutes a healthy vaginal microbiome, a global research collaboration that includes a Rutgers-New Brunswick scientist has reported a series of findings, including identifying which bacteria thwart vaginal disease and determining that microbiomes vary significantly across human populations.
Authors of the study, published in Trends in Microbiology, are part of a Belgium-based initiative called the Isala Sisterhood. Members of the group aim to inspire research on microbiomes worldwide by creating a “reference map” of vaginal microbiota. Launched in 2020 at the University of Antwerp, the project has expanded to include more than 3,000 participants working in North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. The group includes microbiologists, health care workers, members of governmental organizations and public citizens.
“The study is important for many reasons,” said Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health at the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and an author of the study. “One key reason is that understanding vaginal microbiome diversity can lead to improved diagnostics and treatments.” To read the full story.