Animal Microbiome Studies (AMS)
Overview
In addition to research on the Human Microbiome, the J. Craig Venter Institute has numerous projects and programs that are focused on this emerging research area to identify and characterize the microbiomes of various animal species. Animal Microbiome Sciences focuses on studying the microbial populations that natively inhabit these animals, allowing us determine their role in health, disease, and development. In parallel, researchers at JCVI have lead comparative approaches on animal models, including diverse primate species, to understand how human microbiomes have evolved. This comparative framework have set the basis to explore the evolutionary baseline of human disease. In this effort, JCVI has continued to partner with various organizations to accomplish innovative studies supported by cutting edge molecular approaches, leading research on animal microbiomes since 2004. Here we outline these projects which investigate the relationship between animal health, disease, and development and how this correlates with changes in the microbiome.
Novel diversity of bacterial communities associated with bottlenose dolphin upper respiratory tracts
Next generation sequencing to define prokaryotic and fungal diversity in the bovine rumen.
The complex microbiome of the ceca of chickens plays an important role in nutrient utilization, growth and well-being of these animals.
Vibrio coralliilyticus is a global marine pathogen that has been found to cause disease in several marine organisms, including corals.
Gastrointestinal microbial community composition and habitat structure in howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra)
Enteric Dysbiosis Associated with a Mouse Model of Alcoholic Liver Disease. The translocation of bacteria and bacterial products into the...
Ecological and temporal influences on a Caribbean reef-building coral in decline
Diet drives specific taxa, while phylogeny acts more broadly in vervets fed a western diet.
The gastrointestinal microbiota composition and function of free range wild Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)...
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Ernst Haeckel's original (1866) conception of the three kingdoms of life. For the full image and more on the topic go to Wikipedia.