Developing a Rapid ATP Assay to Understand Skin and Hair Follicle Microbiome and Assess Skin Microbiome Dysbiosis

    January 2026 in “ British Journal of Dermatology ”
    Didar Tasdemir, Haya Alusta, Faiza Benaouda, G. R. McClelland, Stuart A. Jones
    TLDR The ATP assay can measure skin microbiome changes and recovery, with ethanol-treated skin taking longer to recover than tape-stripped skin.
    This study developed a rapid ATP assay to assess skin microbiome dysbiosis, involving 5 healthy volunteers. Dysbiosis was induced using tape stripping and ethanol wiping, with samples collected at various intervals. The ATP assay effectively measured microbial populations, showing that both methods induced dysbiosis, which recovered over 24 hours. However, ethanol-treated skin took longer to recover than tape-stripped skin. The assay could potentially be used as a clinical tool to assess microbiome recovery rates, though further research is needed to explore its application in diseased skin and the feasibility of a handheld ATP device for clinical use.
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