Revealing the roles of the anaerobic skin microbiome in malodour production

The production of malodour, also known as body odour (BO), is an ancient human trait that is mediated through co-evolution of humans with their skin microbiota.

We have worked extensively with Unilever over the last decade to identify the bacteria responsible for the production of pungent thioalcohol components of BO by various Staphylococci and Corynebacteria that grow in our underarms (axilla).

However, BO is a complex mixture of chemicals and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) form the second major class of molecules that contribute to recognisable BO.

Our previous work in this area has identified species of Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) as being responsible for VFA production, through the action of an intracellular enzyme on the odourless precursor secreted into our armpits.

In this project we aim to study directly the GPAC present in real human axilla communities to establish their role in VFA production, and more broadly to consider their wide roles in these complex multispecies communities.