Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Identifying a healthy oral microbiome through metagenomics
L D Alcaraz1, P Belda-Ferre, R Cabrera-Rubio
1Department of Genomics and Health, Center for Advanced Research in Public Health, Avda Cataluña, Valencia, Spain.
This study explored oral bacterial communities using pyrosequencing, revealing specific bacterial groups linked to dental caries. Findings support dental caries as a polymicrobial disease, distinct from a healthy oral microbiome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Oral Health
Background:
- The human oral microbiome plays a crucial role in health and disease.
- Dental caries is a complex condition influenced by microbial factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bacterial communities in human dental plaque using pyrosequencing.
- To identify associations between microbial composition and caries status.
Main Methods:
- Pyrosequencing of metagenomes from eight dental plaque samples.
- Taxonomic assignment of over 1.6 million reads using a binning procedure.
- Clustering analysis to compare microbial communities in caries and non-caries conditions.
Main Results:
- Identification of specific bacterial consortia associated with both cariogenic and non-cariogenic conditions.
- Demonstration of distinct microbial profiles correlating with oral health status.
- Validation of pyrosequencing for complex sample analysis.
Conclusions:
- Dental caries is a polymicrobial disease with specific associated bacterial communities.
- Findings align with previous 16S rRNA amplification studies.
- Provides a foundation for linking microbial taxonomy and function in future research.
More Related Videos
11:22Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
09:52A Clinical Metaproteomics Workflow Implemented within Galaxy Bioinformatics Platform to Analyze Host-Microbiome Interactions Underlying Human Disease
Published on: January 10, 2025
Related Concept Videos
The Oral Microbiota
Methods to Assess Microbial Communities
Introduction to the Human Microbiota
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Development of Human Microbiota