Characterization and manipulation of bacterial microbiomes in domestic animals

动物在不同的身体部位藏匿着复杂的、多样化的、通常定义不清的微生物种群。虽然定义不明确，但很明显，这些种群(微生物区系)及其遗传要素和相互作用的总和(微生物组)在各种疾病的发展和预防中发挥着关键作用，包括传统上认为不具有传染性的疾病。新技术彻底改变了我们对人体微生物群的理解，从而为开发和测试动物的新型和非抗菌预防和治疗方法创造了独特的机会。安全有效的生物治疗(基于微生物的)方法预防或治疗疾病的潜力非常有吸引力，特别是考虑到抗菌素耐药性的流行限制了现有的治疗选择，并对动物使用抗菌剂进行了日益严格的审查。然而，只有正确地了解宿主的“正常”微生物种群，才能适当地开发和评估生物治疗方法。

Animals harbour complex, diverse and typically poorly defined microbial populations at various body sites. While poorly defined, it is clear that these populations (the microbiota) and the sum of their genetic elements and interactions (the microbiome) play critical roles in both development and prevention of various diseases, including disease not classically considered to be infectious. New technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the body's microbiomes, thereby creating unique opportunities for development and testing of novel and non-antimicrobial preventive and therapeutic methods for animals. The potential for safe and effective biotherapeutic (microbial-based) approaches for prevention or treatment of disease is highly appealing, particularly given the epidemic of antimicrobial resistance that is both limiting available treatment options and increasing scrutiny of antimicrobial use in animals. Yet, only with proper understanding of the host's 'normal' microbial population can biotherapeutic approaches be properly developed and evaluated.