The Oral Microbiome Bank of China

The human microbiome project (HMP) promoted further understanding of human oral microbes. However, research on the human oral microbiota has not made as much progress as research on the gut microbiota. Currently, the causal relationship between the oral microbiota and oral diseases remains unclear, and little is known about the link between the oral microbiota and human systemic diseases. To further understand the contribution of the oral microbiota in oral diseases and systemic diseases, a Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD) was established in the US. The HOMD includes 619 taxa in 13 phyla, and most of the microorganisms are from American populations. Due to individual differences in the microbiome, the HOMD does not reflect the Chinese oral microbial status. Herein, we established a new oral microbiome database—the Oral Microbiome Bank of China (OMBC, http://www.sklod.org/ombc ). Currently, the OMBC includes information on 289 bacterial strains and 720 clinical samples from the Chinese population, along with lab and clinical information. The OMBC is the first curated description of a Chinese-associated microbiome; it provides tools for use in investigating the role of the oral microbiome in health and diseases, and will give the community abundant data and strain information for future oral microbial studies. Microbiology: A census of oral ecosystems A new resource for consolidating oral microbiome data will help researchers explore the relationship between these commensal communities and the health of their hosts. Numerous studies have highlighted apparent connections between alterations in the microbial communities within the human mouth and medical conditions including diabetes and cancer. A recent article from researchers led by Liao Ga at Sichuan University describes the launch of the Oral Microbiome Bank of China, an effort to study such connections by profiling specimens from individuals from across the country. The database currently houses detailed information on 289 bacterial strains and the samples from which they were obtained. The authors are now looking to analyze these data to gain insights into the structure and function of oral ecosystems, and to further expand this database as a resource for Chinese microbiome research.