MICROBIOMES ASSOCIATED WITH FRESH PRODUCE SOLD IN OPEN AIR MARKETS IN KENYA

Fresh produce has been attributed to disease outbreaks demonstrating the potential of fresh fruits and vegetables to support the survival and growth of potential human pathogens. Insights mustered by the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) and the Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract (MetaHIT) have greatly expounded on the impact of gut microbiomes on human health. Subsequently, bacteria comprising microbiomes on fresh produce have been linked with the potential to colonize and alter our gastrointestinal tract. And, in the farm to table continuum, indigenous microbiota on fresh produce is influenced by environmental factors and pre-and post-harvesting procedures. Therefore this study employed high throughput DNA sequencing of a targeted 16S rRNA gene to exhaustively characterize the microbial communities found on fresh produce sold in open-air markets in Kenya.