Novel microbiome based biomarkers of poultry gut health

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The animal gastrointestinal tract contains trillions of microbes that play a critical role in their health and wellbeing. Poultry birds reared under intensive conditions are exposed to environmental stresses that disturb their gut microbiome and adversely impact on their health. This studentship will investigate the impact of environmental stresses on the structure and function of the gut microbiome as well as on the immune status with the objective of identifying novel biomarkers of poultry gut health. This will enable selection of birds that can withstand these stresses and also identify vulnerable populations before they succumb to the negative impact of stresses on the bird performance and welfare. Ultimately this project can potentially reduce loss of birds, improve feed conversion and reduce cost associated of veterinary drugs required for disease treatment. Reduction in therapeutic use of antibiotic will contribute to addressing the global concerns of antibiotic resistance in the environment.