Woah, wait a sec, what is a microbiome?
Your personal bacterial ecosystem
The microbiome is the collection of bacteria found in a particular environment. In most cases if you have heard this term, it is when people are talking about the gut microbiome. You have a symbiotic relationship with these bacteria - they help you digest food, and you provide a cosy home for them. Research has now shown that that relationship goes far beyond food, with these bacteria influencing everything from your mood to your immune system. Some bacteria are good for you, and others can cause disease. But it is not always as simple as the presence of a bacteria meaning you will get sick. The microbiome is a complex ecosystem of interacting parts, with different bacteria all playing a role.
With DNA sequencing, we can get a snapshot of microbiome diversity
This is an incredibly exciting time to get involved and discover new ways to improve human health through a better understanding how these organisms are involved. With the cost of DNA sequencing coming down, and the information we have on the roles of these bacteria in health increasing, at Tuesday Innovation we work with our clients to figure out how these technologies can be used to create something impactful, precise, and personal.
Turns out, it‘s a similar story for skin
Your gut isn't the only microbiome effecting your health. Your skin has its own Amazon rainforest of bacteria that are all interacting with you and your environment.
How long do you spend in the sun? What cleanser do you use? Why do you have dry skin?
We are working with Esse Skincare to build one of the world's first skin microbiome exploration platforms. This will help people better understand how their skin is effected by these and a number of other factors with the goal of improving skin health, not just treating the symptoms of unhealthy skin.
Together we have designed and built a platform that allows users to discover and gain insight into their personal skin microbiome. This is achieved by swabbing the face, sequencing the collected sample, and viewing their tailored results and advice through the Esse Microbiome web platform. After long sessions discussing form design, data parsing, and how to present complex data of this nature, we are really excited to see samples starting to come in and dive into the data with the Esse research team!
Take a look here:
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