Re-assessing microbiomes in the low-biomass reproductive niche

Abstract

The female reproductive tract represents a continuum between the vagina and the upper genital tract. New evidence from cultivation-independent studies suggests that the female upper genital tract is not sterile, however the significance of this for reproductive health and disease remains to be fully elucidated. Further, diagnosis and treatment of infectious reproductive tract pathologies using cultivation-independent technologies represents a largely unchartered area of modern medical science. The challenge now is to design well-controlled experiments to account for the ease of contamination known to confound molecular based studies of low-biomass niches, including the uterus and placenta. This will support robust assessment of the potential function of microorganisms, microbial metabolites and cell-free bacterial DNA on reproductive function in health and disease.