MyMicrobiome Standard 44.10 - Nasal Microbiome

The nasal microbiome fulfills important tasks for our health, such as filtering, warming and moistening the inhaled air and has the function of detecting pathogenic germs.

Textiles/fabrics should also leave this area untouched as best as possible. Therefore, we test handkerchiefs, for example, as they come into contact with the nasal mucosa and thus our microbiome.

In the medical field, we certify nasal tamponades or nasal pins that stop bleeding.

The typical key bacteria found in the nose are:

Moraxella catarrhalis

Staphylococcus epidermidis

Cutibacterium acnes

Corynebacterium striatum

The test procedure for Standard 44.10 nasal microbiome

The textile product undergoes four test phases as part of the "Microbiome-friendly" certification.

1. Quality test

The quality test ensures that the textile products are sterile, and our microbiological tests can be carried out with the skin microorganisms. Therefore, textiles are washed according to the manufacturers' instructions beforehand. A screening examines the occurrence of mesophilic and aerobic microorganisms. For decontamination, the products are UV-irradiated or autoclaved. Hygiene products are sterilized through UV light exposure.

2. Balance test

The balance between the most common skin microbe S. epidermidis and the harmful bacterium S. aureus should not be disturbed by the textile/hygiene product. A co-culture with both bacterial strains is mixed with the textile for a certain time and then the ratio of the two microbes is compared with the untreated control group. This must not change in favor of S. aureus under the influence of the textile product.

3. Diversity test

The microbes typical of the nasal microbiome are cultivated. A co-culture of these microorganisms is added to the textile to be tested and the change in diversity is compared with the untreated control group. The diversity of the microbiome in terms of the most important key microbes must be maintained.

4. Vitality test

A microbiome-friendly product for the nasal cavity should not undesirably influence the vitality of the individual microbes. This test simulates direct skin contact of the microbes - considered individually. The growth of the microorganisms is compared with an untreated control group and must neither be significantly reduced nor stimulated.