The American Microbiome Institute is sponsoring Your Private Biome. The AMI will pay for the sampling of approximately 50 individuals.
What is Your Private Biome?
Your Private Biome is an open-source citizen scientist research project that is designed to help researchers get a better understanding of how all the bacteria in women’s vaginas – the vaginal microbiome - affects their health. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to make a modest donation to the study (this will be waived if you are selected to receive a free sampling by the AMI). You will send Your Private Biome a vaginal swab and some information about you and your health. In return, to thank you, they will send you a report of what your vaginal microbiome looks like and how it compares to other women in the study. They will use the samples and data from all the study participants – they hope to enroll 20,000 people - to answer questions about how changes in the kinds of bacteria in the vaginal microbiome can lead to vaginal health problems or how changes in your lifestyle can lead to change in the vaginal microbiome. The hope is that the results from this study will lead to more personalized approaches to women’s health, better diagnostic tests and/or treatments, including probiotics, for vaginal diseases.
After you are alerted if you were selected to receive a free sampling, you will be contacted by Your Private Biome personnel from The University of Maryland School of Medicine.
To be entered to win a free sampling, you must enter your information below. Your information will be added to our email list, as well as provided to Your Private Biome.
Read more about the project and the different sampling options.