A new, nose-specific strain of the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus uses hairlike fibers called fimbriae (arrows) to cling to the nose’s surface.
By Amanda HeidtLike a sprawling urban city, certain neighborhoods of the human body support different communities of microbes.
And many of these are good guys; the microbes in our gut help us digest food, for example, whereas those on our tongue and skin can guard against invading pathogens.
Now, researchers have found beneficial bacteria in our nose as well. This “nasal microbiome” may guard against chronic sinus inflammation or even allergies.The study is “an important gateway” to recognizing bacteria’s protective qualities in a new part of the body, says Maria Marco, a microbiologist at the