Community Assembly on Facial Skin in Inflammatory Acne and Health

Primary Researchers:

Tami Lieberman

Principal Investigator: Tami Lieberman, MIT

Project Summary:

Acne vulgaris (acne) is a poorly understood disease and it is though that genetics, microbes, and the environment play roles in its progression. In particular, it has been suggested that Propionibacterium acnes, the dominant microbial resident of all adult facial skin, is the main driver of acne, and that certain strains are more pathogenic. Yet, the evidence for these claims is murky, and P. acnes. Here, we propose to characterize the timing and order in which multiple P. acnes strains colonize people by comparing the P. acnes population on faces of children, adolescents, and adults at the strain and whole-genome levels. We will establish a multi-year collaboration with a STEM-focused K-8 private school, enabling the repeated sampling of subjects over time and the ability to associate prior microbial colonization with the future development of severe acne.