Factors Affecting Microbial Diversity in the Navel of Gen Z College Students- An Investigation of the Navel Microbiome in the post-COVID Generation
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
Factors Affecting Microbial Diversity in the Navel of Gen Z College Students- An Investigation of the Navel Microbiome in the post-COVID Generation
The human skin microbiome plays a vital role in protecting against pathogens, supporting immunity, and maintaining overall skin health. The navel is a particularly informative site for assessing microbial diversity because it is enclosed, inconsistently cleaned, and influenced by individual hygiene habits and environmental exposure. Although several pre-COVID studies have examined skin microbiota composition, little is known about how microbiomes of the post-COVID Generation-Z population may differ. This research aims to investigate the factors shaping microbial diversity within the navels of Gen-Z college students and to determine whether hygiene patterns and lifestyle characteristics influence the distribution of aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative organisms.
Participants self-collected samples using a moist sterile swab inserted into the navel. Each sample was streaked for isolation onto two blood agar plates: one incubated aerobically at 35°C and one incubated anaerobically in an anaerobe jar. Swabs were also placed into cooked-meat broth to enrich slow-growing anaerobes. After 24–48 hours, plates were assessed for colony growth, morphology, and hemolysis, and representative colonies were Gram-stained. Abundance was evaluated semi-quantitatively by examining colony distribution across streak quadrants and recorded as little, few, or many. Suspected anaerobes and isolates that could not be visually identified were analyzed using the Vitek 2 system with purity plates. Because certain anaerobes may require extended incubation, cultures from cooked-meat broth were re-streaked on day 14 to assess for late-appearing growth.
Preliminary results demonstrated robust growth under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, with many isolates identified as facultative anaerobes. Colony morphology and hemolytic patterns varied widely across participants, and Gram stains frequently showed Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative rods, and pleomorphic Gram-positive rods.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Angela Wilson
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
amwilson@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
School of Medical Diagnostic & Translational Sciences
College/School Affiliation
Ellmer College of Health Sciences
Student Level Group
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Factors Affecting Microbial Diversity in the Navel of Gen Z College Students- An Investigation of the Navel Microbiome in the post-COVID Generation
Factors Affecting Microbial Diversity in the Navel of Gen Z College Students- An Investigation of the Navel Microbiome in the post-COVID Generation
The human skin microbiome plays a vital role in protecting against pathogens, supporting immunity, and maintaining overall skin health. The navel is a particularly informative site for assessing microbial diversity because it is enclosed, inconsistently cleaned, and influenced by individual hygiene habits and environmental exposure. Although several pre-COVID studies have examined skin microbiota composition, little is known about how microbiomes of the post-COVID Generation-Z population may differ. This research aims to investigate the factors shaping microbial diversity within the navels of Gen-Z college students and to determine whether hygiene patterns and lifestyle characteristics influence the distribution of aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative organisms.
Participants self-collected samples using a moist sterile swab inserted into the navel. Each sample was streaked for isolation onto two blood agar plates: one incubated aerobically at 35°C and one incubated anaerobically in an anaerobe jar. Swabs were also placed into cooked-meat broth to enrich slow-growing anaerobes. After 24–48 hours, plates were assessed for colony growth, morphology, and hemolysis, and representative colonies were Gram-stained. Abundance was evaluated semi-quantitatively by examining colony distribution across streak quadrants and recorded as little, few, or many. Suspected anaerobes and isolates that could not be visually identified were analyzed using the Vitek 2 system with purity plates. Because certain anaerobes may require extended incubation, cultures from cooked-meat broth were re-streaked on day 14 to assess for late-appearing growth.
Preliminary results demonstrated robust growth under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, with many isolates identified as facultative anaerobes. Colony morphology and hemolytic patterns varied widely across participants, and Gram stains frequently showed Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative rods, and pleomorphic Gram-positive rods.