On Jan. 3, 2011, the Belly Button Biodiversity project was launched to investigate the microbes inhabiting our navels and the factors that might influence the microscopic life calling this protected, moist patch of skin home.

The researchers used basic molecular biology to extract and sequence the DNA from the microbes collected from each belly button, and looked specifically at the 16S rRNA gene, a gene that’s extremely variable across different strains of microbes. It provides a molecular “fingerprint” that is used to distinguish one species from another. With the help of special software that turned the microbial sequence data into meaningful results: lists of species (and their relative abundances) for each belly button.

In addition to inspiring scientific curiosity, Belly Button Biodiversity inspired conversations about the beneficial roles microbes play in our daily lives.