What if we’ve been measuring the wrong microbes all along? via Skin Challenges

For years, scientists have studied the skin microbiome by analyzing DNA found on the surface of our skin. But there’s a big problem: that DNA doesn’t just come from living bacteria—it also comes from dead ones, long gone but still leaving traces behind.

A team of researchers decided to tackle this issue head-on. They used a clever method to remove what they call “relic DNA” — the leftover genetic material from dead microbes — and focused only on the DNA from live bacteria.

The result? Surprising: up to 90% of the DNA on our skin can come from dead microbes.

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