Numerous uncharacterized and highly divergent microbes which colonize humans are revealed by circulating cell-free DNA

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1707009114
• Publication Date: 2017-08-23T00:35:14Z
• Authors: Mark Kowarsky; Joan Camunas-Soler; Michael Kertesz; Iwijn De Vlaminck; Winston Koh; Wenying Pan; Lance Martin; Norma F. Neff; Jennifer Okamoto; Ronald J. Wong; Sandhya Kharbanda; Yasser El-Sayed; Yair Blumenfeld; David K. Stevenson; Gary M. Shaw; Nathan D. Wolfe; Stephen R. Quake
• Keywords: Shotgun

Significance Through massive shotgun sequencing of circulating cell-free DNA from the blood more than 1,000 independent samples, we identified hundreds new bacteria and viruses which represent previously unidentified members human microbiome. Previous studies targeted specific niches such as feces, skin, or oral cavity, whereas our approach using effectively enables sampling entire body reveals colonization have been inaccessible. We were thus able to discover that contains a vast unexpected diversity microbes, many highly divergent relationships known tree life.