Bacterial finger prints

[learner]

The things you miss when out feeding the Birds!.

I just caught a snatch of a report on Radio5 live (uk) about research at a USA university (didnt catch the name) It seems they have discovered that there is Bacteria living on our hands that is unique to each of us. I missed most of the report but did catch the obvious identification potential.

Has anyone heard anything on this?

[Dikken]

It's all over the news today. I can't post links yet, but the story is on the BBC website, New York Times, and Science Blogs. I don't think it is ready for forensic detection yet, the researchers were only able to determine that a particular person (out of a population of an office) used a mouse or typed on a keyboard.

It does have potential though.

[cbish]

Here you go!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124709981

[steve s]

When it says that "Each of us has bacterial communities that are unique to us," is it referring to the percentages of the various types of bacteria, or does it mean that the bacteria themselves have evolved differently on each person, and thus have unique DNA?

Steve

[rjh01]

What is unique does not change over time for a person. You work the rest out yourself.

I wonder where and when the bacteria comes from?

[McHrozni]

When it says that "Each of us has bacterial communities that are unique to us," is it referring to the percentages of the various types of bacteria, or does it mean that the bacteria themselves have evolved differently on each person, and thus have unique DNA?

Steve

It is the combination of bacterial species, I think. Even the bacteria don't evolve fast enough to have unique species (or at least strains) on one's hands.
I can't access the article at work, unfortunately. Sexual content. Stupid filter.

McHrozni

[learner]

Here you go!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124709981

Thanks for that. I will have a look later today. At the moment I am suffering from the Guinness=drunk=hangover phenomenon.

:o