The NIH Human Microbiome Project (HMP) is a multi-component community resource initiative funded by the NIH Roadmap for Biomedical Research. The primary goals of the HMP are to characterize the human microbiome using high-throughput technologies, study associations between changes in the microbiome and health/disease, and provide standardized data resources and technological approaches for broad scientific community use. The HMP aims to demonstrate that monitoring or manipulating the human microbiome can improve human health. The project involves studying samples from multiple body sites of at least 250 "normal" volunteers, analyzing microbial communities using metagenomic and 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques, and examining the impact of the microbiome on various health conditions. The HMP is being implemented in phases, with the initial "Jumpstart" phase focusing on sequencing new reference bacterial genomes and collecting and analyzing samples from volunteers. The project also includes demonstration projects to correlate changes in the microbiome with specific disease states and the development of new technologies and computational tools. The HMP is supported by an international consortium and is committed to ethical, legal, and social implications research. The ultimate objective is to create broad opportunities to improve human health through understanding and manipulating the human microbiome.The NIH Human Microbiome Project (HMP) is a multi-component community resource initiative funded by the NIH Roadmap for Biomedical Research. The primary goals of the HMP are to characterize the human microbiome using high-throughput technologies, study associations between changes in the microbiome and health/disease, and provide standardized data resources and technological approaches for broad scientific community use. The HMP aims to demonstrate that monitoring or manipulating the human microbiome can improve human health. The project involves studying samples from multiple body sites of at least 250 "normal" volunteers, analyzing microbial communities using metagenomic and 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques, and examining the impact of the microbiome on various health conditions. The HMP is being implemented in phases, with the initial "Jumpstart" phase focusing on sequencing new reference bacterial genomes and collecting and analyzing samples from volunteers. The project also includes demonstration projects to correlate changes in the microbiome with specific disease states and the development of new technologies and computational tools. The HMP is supported by an international consortium and is committed to ethical, legal, and social implications research. The ultimate objective is to create broad opportunities to improve human health through understanding and manipulating the human microbiome.