Impact of seasonal variation on the oral and nasopharyngeal microbiome in school-aged children: the school MicroBE initiative.

ABSTRACT: The "School MicroBE" initiative explores how the built environment impacts microbial communities in school-aged children by examining temporal dynamics and shifts in nasopharyngeal and oral microbiomes. This longitudinal study involved 119 children aged 4 to 13 at a public school, with nasopharyngeal and oral samples collected in autumn, winter, and spring of 2023. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we assessed microbial composition through alpha and beta diversity analyses, characterized microbial assemblages, and evaluated the relative abundance of key taxa. Significant seasonal variations were observed, with an increase in alpha diversity from autumn to spring in nasopharyngeal samples. Beta diversity analyses did not reveal distinct clustering patterns based on collection months. Hierarch

SUBMITTER: Castro-Severyn J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12455914 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature