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Lovers Share Colonies of Skin Microbes, Study Finds (metro.co.uk)
Aneri Pattani reports via The New York Times (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternate source): Couples who live together share a lot of things: beds, bathrooms, food, toiletries. But one thing they might not expect to share? Skin bacteria. In a study published Thursday in mSystems, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers studied the skin microbiomes of 10 sexually active, heterosexual couples living together. A microbiome is a mini-ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms living on and in the body. Each square centimeter of skin hosts between one million and one billion microorganisms, according to the study. After analyzing 330 skin swabs collected from 17 parts of the body on each participant, the researchers found that each person significantly influenced the microbial communities on a lover's skin. In fact, computer algorithms relying on microbial data were able to accurately match couples with up to 86 percent accuracy.
Slashdotters don't have lovers, unless you count their hands... and of course their hands share microbes with their genitals.
Actually, I can add to this study: test the lowest belly roll too, it also has microbes
This is the right place. Come over, we got them.
If you want to avoid another person's microbes, don't touch their keyboard or mouse.
The only female who ever liked me hasn't spoken to me in 20+ years...
is to compare married homosexual men. See if that 86% accuracy is higher or lower, and whether it indicates greater or lesser infidelity.
I can just see it now if one spouse is accused of cheating. "We want to get a skin swab to check the microbiome." I wonder if the microbiomes of all three people would become similar.
...if this *weren't* the case.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
No more Cleveland Steamers on my chest.
I wonder how fast this happens. Could some sort of "infidelity testing service" spring up out of this research?
I'm surprised it's so low.
Couples who live together share a lot of things: beds, bathrooms, food, toiletries. But one thing they might not expect to share? Skin bacteria.
Says who? Why wouldn't they expect that? Everyone knows you already share all sorts of bacteria and viruses and whatnot with whoever you live with, so you tend to get sick at the same time and you tend to be resistant to the same sicknesses and all that -- it's fucking common sense.
Were they actually secret lovers? They could've just created a affair detector!
Germs of endearment.
cooties are real
Table-ized A.I.
A bigger problem might be TRUST ISSUES between significant others.
Stop masturbating to Black Mirror episodes!
Well duh. They touch eachother
Go away!
Research soon to be cited in various divorce cases :)
Not much else to say about that.
... finds that rotten fish smell bad.
Can the same be done for the hiv viruses in homosexuals?
It is known that gut microbes have a lot of influence on physiology including mood. I wonder if these skin microbes also influence some things in their host in some way... could help explain why long-term couples are alike in a number of things that are not necessarily habits.
Every woman I've ever lived with my dick starts to smell like her pussy and vice versa after a few months. I just assumed this was common fucking knowledge? Can I please get some of this grant money they are wasting on this idiotic crap?
Finally, a pickup line for the upcoming dermatologist convention!
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Hey baby, want to share some microbes?
I don't understand some peoples hobbies, comics, trainspotting and now this.
... it's the milkman after all.
And your Valtrex prescription, too!
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
I'm never touching another person for the rest of my life.. Oh, not because of the bacterial micro-biomes and all that, just because I'm someone who posts on Slashdot.
Honestly, I had a girlfriend I was "allergic" to. I had an itch between my fingers I couldn't get rid of it. We found later without a doubt it was her.
If you and your partner don't share virtually identical skin bacteria populations, then you're doing something wrong.
That's some bullshit research. We all fucking know that shit already.
"A microbiome is a mini-ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms living on and..."
'other microorganisms' ?? How many other types of microorganisms are there..?
No sig for you! Come back one year!
That's a Feat---, uh, well, those colonies of skin bacteria actually are bugs. Which is also a feature!