| The Human Microbiome Project seeks to explore the diversity of microbiota that resides in and on the human body, including the skin, in health and disease. The NIH Intramural Skin Microbiome Consortium (NISMC) is a trans-disciplinary group of experts engaged in the practice of genomics, bioinformatics, large-scale DNA sequencing, dermatology, immunology, allergy, infectious disease, and clinical microbiology. Atopic dermatitis (AD, “eczema”) is a chronic relapsing skin disorder that affects ~15% of U.S. children and is associated with $1 billion of medical costs annually. AD is characterized by dry, itchy skin, infiltrated with immune cells. Colonization by _Staphylococcus aureus_ (_S. aureus_) is ten-fold more common in AD patients... |
