Have you ever wondered what microscopic creatures you and your family come into contact with everyday? Our world is filled with trillions of microbes that you interact with everyday – those you breathe in, or get on your skin by touching other people or surfaces. Yet, we are only beginning to understand them.
DNA on any given surface you touch usually has 50-60% unknown species. Thus, there is still so much more to learn about the microbiome (all microscopic organisms) and the metagenome (all genomes their DNA) living in the world around us. These microscopic organisms affect billions of hands every day, and knowing how these dynamics can affect and shape our health!