Germs Mingle Most on Palms, Feet...(seem to like the gut (no surprise there)...),Health

Some bacterial communities appeared to strongly prefer one body spot over another. For example, when the scientists transplanted microbial groupings from the forearm to the forehead, the germs failed to thrive. But doing the reverse -- transplanting communities from forehead to forearm -- didn't seem to impede bacterial growth.

Researchers focused on bacterial diversity rather than bacterial quantity. There are thousands of bacterial types, but certain ones seemed prominent in the study, said Fierer. Four bacterial groups stood out -- Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes -- and they were relatively stable over time. Individual bacterial types included the Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria.

In some ways, the mapping efforts spurs more questions than it answers. Researchers are not sure why the forearms and other body parts attract so much microbial diversity. Also, it is not clear whether the different strains compete with each other or live in a kind of bacterial harmony.

Researchers also want to know whether people are born with these bacterial colonies or develop them after birth, through external contact with their mothers and during the delivery process. Even more fascinating is why each person has his or her own blend of bacteria -- much like a fingerprint. Perhaps diet, climate, locale or a combination of variables are responsible for each person's unique bacterial make-up, said Fierer.

Most important, researchers want to know how the colonies impact health and whether they can be harnessed in some way to treat disease. In the future, for example, microbial mapping could lead to routine screening of patients as a way to record a baseline of th
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