Now that the gut microbiome is recognised as an important player in animal health and disease, there is a strong research focus on understanding its intricacies and communication systems in finer detail. Microbes and cells of the gastrointestinal tract have co-evolved and can be considered as one complex and functional unit, which undergoes extensive crosstalk during normal health and following medical interventions.
New modes of communication continued to be unravelled; microbes regulate gene expression and inflammatory responses of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) by producing metabolic products and microbe-associate associated molecular patterns. In turn, IECs respond by tweaking components of the intestinal barrier, secreting antimicrobial peptides and presenting antigens to immune cells.
Both pre-clinical and clinical studies have highlighted the potential role of the microbiome in modulating the immune response to vaccination, with some studies identifying a positive correlation between intestinal microbiota diversity and vaccination protection. Meanwhile, impaired antibody responses to vaccination have been observed in animals with antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. Identifying microbiota characteristics in vaccine responders and non-responders is now of great interest in settings of vaccine development in agriculture and aquaculture.
BaseClear supports studies towards better predictions of vaccine protection, immunogenicity and strategies, by providing high-resolution analysis of microbial communities on a species-level. With our next generation sequencing tools, we can help generate and interpret data regarding species which may modulate humoral or cellular immunity among vaccine responders. In addition, BaseClear can support you to the end with advanced bioinformatics tools that allow you to efficiently assess the profiles of microbiota composition and function across time and vaccination protocols.
Get in touch with the BaseClear experts to discuss your specific project.
With an international career spanning five countries, working in academia and for industry, Dr. Emma Hernandez-Sanabria brings a wide range of experience into her position as Product Manager in Animal Health and Performance. She combines knowledge about the microbiome of production animals with strong teamwork and mentoring skills to assist animal nutrition clients. Emma works in close collaboration with product managers and other stakeholders to develop products related to the microbiome of livestock. Microbial technologies offer distinctive opportunities for sustainable agriculture and livestock production. She explains: “The European Union has a major role to play in addressing global food and nutrition security. My experience in host-microbe interactions and with horticultural crops can support innovation to improve and safeguard animal health and welfare, thus promoting sustainability.”
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