Scientists at North Carolina State University have launched the Belly Button Biodiversity project, tracking a variety of microorganisms lurking in human navels, reports MSNBC.
To get a sample, researchers hand each subject a sterile long cotton swab. You’re asked to turn it around in your navel three times and place the swab in a vial. Scientists grow the bacteria in a culture and once they become “big and chunky enough” they’re photographed. Participants are given a sample number to view their bacteria online….
“People are always surprised at how much stuff grows from even this superficial sample,” Hulcr says, adding that a moderately disgusting discovery their project has made was that “very few people wash their belly button with soap.”
The researchers report finding copious amounts of Staphylococcus epidermidis, the most common skin bacteria, as well as other forms of bacteria, molds, fungi and yeast.
To learn more, read the full article on MSNBC.com, “New Meaning to Navel Gazing,” and then join the discussion below.
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