bellybuttons.jpg

These petri dishes are growing bacteria harvested from the belly buttons of scientists, journalists, and bloggers at the 2011 ScienceOnline Conference. It's all part of Belly Button Biodiversity, a project of researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Their goal: Introduce humans to the wildlife that's growing on us and in us. Their next sampling event—aka, your chance to see what's growing in your belly button—is February 12, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

  • Anonymous

    Now try sub-culturing those with a tiny percentage of soap in the agar. I’ll bet next to nothing grows.

    (“but you fool! those bacteria are our *friends* — “just look at them!”)

  • hassenpfeffer

    Belly belly button you’re so fine
    Oooh belly button I’m so happy you’re mine
    A tummy without you just wouldn’t be right
    Oooh belly button you’re a beautiful sight
    Belly, belly button–yeah!

    /reads way too many simplistic bedtime books to little kids

  • Anonymous

    I’m 50 years old.

    Back in the 1970s, because of acne as a teenager, I was sent to a dermatologist who prescribed antibiotics. (I guess this was common at the time; I’m not sure if dermatologists still do this)

    He also told me that “diet had nothing to do with acne.” So I took the antibiotics. I wonder if my intestinal flora is permanently screwed up because of it. I’ve eaten yogurt, but I don’t think that’s enough to restore the correct balance.

    I wonder if my ability to absorb/utilize certain vitamins has been permanently affected by that useless antibiotic treatment.

    By the way, my skin cleared up after I reduced the amount of processed meat in my diet, replacing it with more grains and vegetables and non-processed meat.

    • Philipshade

      I took antibiotics for acne in the early 90s.
      My guts are just fine.

      If you’ve got belly problems they likely aren’t from taking anitbiotics 40 years ago

  • Ned613

    Question: What does belly button bacteria do all day?
    Answer: Stare at your belly button.

    • Ned613

      Darn, I didn’t tell it right.

      Question: What does belly button bacteria do all day?
      Answer: Stare at your navel.

      There, that’s much better.

  • Anonymous

    That one that looks like a magic 8-ball has got to be mine

  • Anonymous

    that’s ace ventura in 940!

  • splint

    I used to play with agar and petri dishes as a kid, it’s why I knew to make sure to wash hands after pooping but peeing, eh, don’t worry about it.

  • Anonymous

    Is this a veiled attempt to get us to use soap again?

  • Stagamancer

    As a current graduate student who is studying host-associated bacterial communities, I can say I’m always super excited when this kind of stuff gets out to the public. And sorry to all you germaphobes out there, but there are at least ten times as many bacterial cells than your own human cells living in and on you, and you can’t live without ‘em.

  • ryanrafferty

    Just what we’ve all been waiting for! Stop the presses…

  • Zadaz

    It’s an admirable goal to help people realize the true world they live in, and that our bodies themselves are swimming with biodiversity.

    But I can’t help think this exhibit will mostly encourage people to go at their bellybuttons with wire brushes.

    Maybe they need to work on breaking the very strong association with “things growing in petri dishes” and “evil gross bacteria” first. I know that there’s happy things growing in there and this thing still squicked me out.

  • Calimecita

    Very cool! And all it takes is a basic agar medium… I wonder if I can convince my mom (a bacteriologist) to grow a sample from my belly button – I’d like to have the photo hanging on my wall!

  • mcarrick

    What’s with 946?

  • branko

    This article provides an excellent argument against topping off your belly button with stock.

  • Ned613

    What’s the scientific term for this,omphalic flora?

    • Ugly Canuck

      Omphalic flora?
      Why not dermal fauna?

  • Ant

    Ugh, I need to clean mine. :P

  • Anonymous

    No names for the living creatures pictured here. They look nice and all but I like to know the names.

  • Anonymous

    Apparently there are at least a few really grungy scientists who participated in this experiment.

  • Kieran O’Neill

    That’s pretty cool, although it focuses on the (relatively small) fraction of bacteria that can be cultured.

    Far more interesting is to use metagenomics to get a broader view of human commensal / mutualist bacteria.

  • technogeek

    Of course there _should_ be critters growing on our skin. There’s some evidence that over-sanitization encourages autoimmune ailments.

    • Lobster

      I agree entirely. I hate it when my bellybutton gets all congested!

  • BDiamond

    Squick.

  • Anonymous

    The photo looks like one of those product charts from the side of an ice cream wagon. Mmmmmmm….

  • Tritty

    does anyone else have to pick out navel fluff on the daily?

    • Anonymous

      Shave your belly, and you won’t get the fluff any more. Worked a treat for me :)
      My girlfriend (a microbiologist) did the same bacterial test with a ‘clean’ fingernail, with equally horrifying results.

    • branko

      Define “have to”.