Other work using the same cohort is in progress looking at the role of human genetics led by @roisinboggan.bsky.social and metagenomics of the nasal microbiome in larger numbers of CARRIAGE study participants by @duncan-ng.bsky.social

We also found some interesting differences in the nasal microbiome between men and women, and between the strains of S. aureus that are present at high abundance. This all now needs evaluation in larger numbers and different human populations.

We found that people less likely to carry S. aureus tended to have more of Dolosigranulum pigrum, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Moraxella catarrhalis. These bacteria may crowd out, kill or compete with S. aureus, but that requires further study.

This confirms previous data and hypothesis that ‘ intermittent carriers’ (people who will sometime be positive for S. aureus and sometimes not) aren’t a distinct biological group - rather they have microbiomes just like persistent or non-carriers.

Combining nasal microbiome data and culture data we show when S. aureus is present, it often dominates. We can group the nasal microbiome into two major patterns:
1. S. aureus dominated with overall low microbial diversity
2. S. aureus is rare, and there is a greater diversity of other bacteria.

This is of important because people who are colonised are at higher risk of S. aureus infection - which is why you get swabbed when you are admitted to hospital.

Over the last 70yrs using nasal swabs and culture it has been established that some people are persistently colonised by Staphylococcus aureus, while others never are - and third group are positive from time to time (intermittent carriers). We investigated the nasal microbiome in these groups

So a few highlights of the study.

Also thanks to the huge contribution and co-leadership of the CARRIAGE study by @julianparkhill.bsky.social John Danesh, Joan Geoghegan, Sharon Peacock and others in the wider CARRIAGE study team at @cam.ac.uk @sangerinstitute.bsky.social and thanks to @wellcometrust.bsky.social for funding

featuring @duncan-ng.bsky.social @pathogenomenick.bsky.social @emmanuel-saliba.bsky.social @resp-micro.bsky.social @asthmaandlung.org.uk @ewanharrison.bsky.social @ryanthwaites.bsky.social and many many more I can't find on bluesky