Understanding the link between the axilla microbiome bacteria and odorous thioalcohol generation at the molecular level

人们普遍认为腋臭是由挥发性脂肪酸(VFAS)、硫醇和类固醇的产生引起的。这些分子是由来自大汗腺并由大汗腺分泌的无味前体分子进行微生物生物转化而产生的。由于感兴趣的分子可能高度挥发性和小，它们可能很难采样和分析，导致丢失有价值的信息，包括分子的量化，并使恶臭的硫醇与腋下产生这些硫醇的微生物种群中的细菌之间存在关联。通过测量这些挥发性分子，我们可以识别细菌产生恶臭的硫醇。本项目的主要目的是发展表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)来检测和定量从腋下产生的硫醇。除了SERS，还将使用热解吸-气相色谱-质谱仪(TD-GC-MS)来描述挥发性有机化合物，并将使用系统发育方法来定义腋下微生物群。通过结合这些技术并研究腋下微生物区系中的细菌与硫醇生成之间的关系，该项目旨在加深对腋下微生物群的了解，并量化恶臭的关键驱动因素。

It is widely accepted that axillary malodour is driven by the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), thioalcohols and steroids. These molecules are generated by the microbial biotransformation of odourless precursor molecules originated from and are secreted by the apocrine gland. As the molecules of interest can be highly volatile and small, they can be difficult to sample and analyse, leading to loss of valuable information, including quantification of the molecules, and making associations between malodourous thiols and the bacteria within the microbial population of the armpit which are producing these thiols. By being able to measure these volatile molecules, we can identify with bacteria generate malodorous thiols.The main aim of this project is to develop surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to detect and quantify the thiols generated from the armpit. Alongside SERS, thermal desorption- gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) will be used to profile volatile organic compounds and phylogenetic approaches will be used to define the axilla microbiome.By combining these techniques and examining the relationship between bacteria in the axillary microbiota and thioalcohol generation, the project aims to develop an in depth understanding of the axilla microbiome and quantify the key drivers of malodour.