Randi Lundberg, DVM - Taconic Biosciences
Taconic Biosciences and Dr. Randi Lundberg, Internal Research and Development, presented an e-seminar reviewing the applied aspects of dealing with gut microbiota impact on rodent models.
Key Learning Points:
This webinar provided information on how the gut microbiota affects numerous human diseases. We reviewed this and summarized ways to handle this challenge in animal research. Among other topics, we also discussed:
- The gut microbiota is complex with dominant phylum such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Actinobacteria present.
- The gut microbiota members influence models for diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, allergies, autoimmunity, cancer, and neuropsychiatric diseases.
- Gut microbiota characterization of all individual animals and incorporation of their gut microbiota composition in data evaluation may be considered in future protocols.
- Through inoculation with selected strains or cocktails of microbes, new "defined flora" models can yield valuable knowledge on the impact of the gut microbiota, and of specific gut microbiota members and their interactions, on important disease phenotypes and mechanisms.
