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An Examination Of Bacterial Communities In The Upper Respiratory Tracts Of Asthmatics And Non-Asthmatics, Kelly O'Brien

Senior Theses and Projects

The human body is colonized with commensal microbes that attach to the skin and mucosal membranes and function to protect the host as part of the innate immune response. These indigenous microbiota are able to prevent infections by blocking attachment sites and outcompeting invading pathogens for necessary nutrients. Disturbance of the host-microbe symbiotic balance may increase a host’s susceptibility to disease. In addition, proper colonization of the normal flora has been implicated in playing a vital role in shaping the immune response. It has been hypothesized that reduced exposure to infectious microorganisms early in life can disrupt the development of …