{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T02:24:10Z","timestamp":1789698250872,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,11]],"date-time":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1731283200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016036","name":"Health~Holland","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["404270598028"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["404270598028"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016036","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A vaginal microbiome rich in <jats:italic>Lactobacillus crispatus<\/jats:italic> is associated with good reproductive and sexual health outcomes. Dysbiosis, indicated by the loss of <jats:italic>Lactobacillus crispatus<\/jats:italic>, is a risk factor for urogenital infections, such as the clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) or urinary tract infections. While many scientists have explored probiotics using a conventional pharmaceutical approach, concerns about accessibility and affordability prompt an investigation into a preventive approach using this naturally occurring bacterium. Our study aimed to explore a potential woman-friendly vaginal probiotic product using the naturally occurring bacterium, <jats:italic>Lactobacillus crispatus<\/jats:italic>. Citizen scientists actively participated in a two-day practicum and successfully performed the procedures using self-collected vaginal swabs. The practicum received positive responses from participants who demonstrated notable engagement and enthusiasm. With expert guidance, participants without a laboratory background were able to execute assigned tasks successfully. From the Dutch <jats:italic>crispatus<\/jats:italic> Citizen Science Collective of 48 women, 22 succeeded in isolating their own <jats:italic>Lactobacillus crispatus<\/jats:italic> strains using a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) protocol for identification. Additionally, 48 metagenomes and 54 whole genomes from 22 individuals were sequenced for comparative analysis. This project effectively engaged a community of women in the isolation of <jats:italic>Lactobacillus crispatus<\/jats:italic> strains from their vaginal microbiota, followed by <jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic> characterization experiments and a hackathon for the development of a probiotic product. Our citizen science approach opens up collaboration possibilities and new avenues for exploration of vaginal health, facilitating community involvement and the development of targeted interventions to enhance women\u2019s well-being.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0308526","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,11]],"date-time":"2024-11-11T18:21:50Z","timestamp":1731349310000},"page":"e0308526","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["\u2018From women for women\u2019: A citizen science approach engaging women in the isolation and application of the vaginal health-associated bacterium Lactobacillus crispatus"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Shardelice","family":"Illidge","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3674-598X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Remco","family":"Kort","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rosanne","family":"Hertzberger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"name":"The Dutch crispatus Citizen Science Collective","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,11]]},"reference":[{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0308526.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5590","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms23105590","article-title":"Genetic Elements Orchestrating Lactobacillus crispatus Glycogen Metabolism in the Vagina","volume":"23","author":"R Hertzberger","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308526.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1186\/s40168-019-0667-9","article-title":"Comparative genomics of human Lactobacillus crispatus isolates reveals genes for glycosylation and glycogen degradation: implications for in vivo dominance of the vaginal microbiota","volume":"7","author":"C van der Veer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Microbiome"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0308526.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e02733","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.02733-21","article-title":"Evaluation of Modulatory Activities of Lactobacillus crispatus Strains in the Context of the Vaginal Microbiota","volume":"10","author":"C Argentini","year":"2022","journal-title":"Microbiol Spectr"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0308526.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.1038\/s41564-022-01083-2","article-title":"Towards a deeper understanding of the vaginal microbiota","volume":"7","author":"M France","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat Microbiol"},{"key":"pone.0308526.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103085","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jri.2020.103085","article-title":"Vaginal dysbiosis associated-bacteria Megasphaera elsdenii and Prevotella timonensis induce immune activation via dendritic cells","volume":"138","author":"NH van Teijlingen","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Reprod Immunol"},{"key":"pone.0308526.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-016-1513-3","article-title":"Molecular assessment of bacterial vaginosis by Lactobacillus abundance and species diversity","volume":"16","author":"JAM Dols","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308526.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1186\/s40168-019-0667-9","article-title":"Comparative genomics of human Lactobacillus crispatus isolates reveals genes for glycosylation and glycogen degradation: implications for in vivo dominance of the vaginal microbiota","volume":"7","author":"C van der Veer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Microbiome"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0308526.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2470","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11102470","article-title":"Relationship between Bacterial Vaginosis and Sexually Transmitted Infections: Coincidence, Consequence or Co-Transmission?","volume":"11","author":"L Abou Chacra","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"pone.0308526.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2019.12.035","article-title":"Bacterial vaginosis-A brief synopsis of the literature","volume":"245","author":"MS Coudray","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0308526.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.101771","article-title":"The gut microbiome of healthy long-living people","volume":"11","author":"F Deng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Aging"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0308526.ref011","first-page":"19","article-title":"Probiotics for preventing recurrent bacterial vaginosis","volume":"34","author":"L. 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