Molecular mechanisms of microbial modulation of skin homeostasis

The human skin harbors an abundant microbial ecosystem with bidirectional metabolic exchanges supporting symbiotic and commensal functions. Metagenomic analyses of the diverse skin sites in healthy humans demonstrate that contrasting forces of the skin’s biogeography and individual characteristics shape the skin microbiome and the dynamics of its bacteria, fungi, and viruses. However, we have shown that shifts in the ecological properties of the skin microbiome are significantly associated with aging, skin disease, disease severity, and monogenic skin and immune disorders. We have used a variety of computational and functional approaches, including metagenomics, CRISPRi screening, organoid platforms, transcriptomic and spatial transcriptomics, and other technologies to probe genetic and functional diversity of the skin microbiome.