High-frequency time series sampling of salivary microbiome - tongue and plaque samples

The oral microbiome is linked to oral and systemic health, but its fluctuation under frequent daily activities remains elusive. We sampled saliva at an unprecedented frequency to track the microbiome dynamics in response to human activities. We identified novel microbial co-occurring patterns in the saliva (see qiita study ID 14062). Here, to infer the site preference of the oral microbes, we additionally collected samples from tongue dorsum and dental plaque (two of the most typical habitats within the oral cavity representing mucosal and non-mucosal surfaces) from subject MA. We found that the microbial patterns may be associated with the intricate biogeography of oral microbiome.