ArticleMicrobiologyOpen2021
Comparison of swab types for collection and analysis of microorganisms.
Article in MicrobiologyOpen, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 42 citations in OpenAlex.
- Oral mucosal microbiome alterations in recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a systematic review of 16 S rRNA gene sequencing studies.Molecular biology reports · 2026Pooled it
- Standardizing oral microbiome sampling for qPCR: methodological and exploratory insights into nutritional status.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- A Systematic Review of Bacterial Sampling Collection for Veterinary Microbiology in Companion Animals.Veterinary sciences · 2026Review
- Standardizing vaginal microbial profiling: evaluating swab materials, storage conditions, and host DNA depletion strategies.BMC microbiology · 2026Article
- Anatomical site and environmental exposure differentially shape the microbiota across mucosal tissues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Standardizing the approach to clinical-based human microbiome research: from clinical information collection to microbiome profiling and human resource utilization.Osong public health and research perspectives · 2025Article
- Year-Round Quantification, Structure and Dynamics of Epibacterial Communities From Diverse Macroalgae Reveal a Persistent Core Microbiota and Strong Host Specificities.Environmental microbiology reports · 2025Article
- A Protocol for a Systematic Review on Septic Arthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint (SATMJ).Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Sequencing the ocular surface microbiome: a review of methodological practices and considerations.Frontiers in ophthalmology · 2025Review
- An Overview of the Skin Microbiome, the Potential for Pathogen Shift, and Dysbiosis in Common Skin Pathologies.Microorganisms · 2025Review
- Revealing microbial community characteristics in healthy human, cat and canine salivas and looking for species-specific microbes.International journal of legal medicine · 2024Article
- Article
- Impact of swabbing solutions on the recovery of biological material from non-porous surfaces.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2024Article
- Comparison of swabbing and cutting-out DNA collection methods from cotton, paper, and cardboard surfaces.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2024Article
- Soil phosphorus transformation and plant uptake driven by phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Review
- Comparative study of the gut microbial communities collected by scraping and swabbing in a fish model: a comprehensive guide to promote non-lethal procedures for gut microbial studies.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2024Article
- Optimisation of the sampling method for skin microbiome studies in healthy children: a pilot cohort study.Frontiers in microbiomes · 2024Article
- Analysis of Microbiomes from Ultra-Low Biomass Surfaces Using Novel Surface Sampling and Nanopore Sequencing.Journal of biomolecular techniques : JBT · 2023Article
- Safety tests and clinical research on buccal and nasal microneedle swabs for genomic analysis.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2023Article
- Challenges and insights in the exploration of the low abundance human ocular surface microbiome.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The human microbiome has begun to emerge as a potential forensic tool, with varied applications ranging from unique identification to investigative leads that link individuals and/or locations. The relative abundance of the combined DNA of the microbiome, compared to human nuclear DNA, may expand potential sources of biological evidence, especially in cases with transfer or low-copy number DNA samples. This work sought to determine the optimal swab type for the collection and analysis of microorganisms. A bacterium (Proteus mirabilis) was deposited by pipette onto four swab types (cotton, flocked, dental applicators, and dissolvable), and extraction and real-time PCR quantitation of the bacterial DNA were performed, which allowed for absolute microbial DNA recovery and comparison of yields across the four sampling substrates. Flocked swabs had the highest yield (~1240 ng) compared to the cotton swabs (~184 ng), dental applicators (~533 ng), and dissolvable swabs (~430 ng). The collection efficiency was further evaluated for cotton and flocked swabs using dried microbial samples spotted onto non-porous surfaces (treated wood, glass, plastic, and tile). Flocked swabs performed consistently better across wood, glass, and tile, but showed decreased recovery from plastic. The cotton swabs failed in the recovery of P. mirabilis DNA across all surfaces. Knowing the appropriate sampling substrate will be useful as others continue to investigate the use of the microbiome as a forensics tool.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.