STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT PRODUCTION PRACTICES (EARLY WEANING, MIXING AND TRANSPORT, COLD/HEAT STRESS) HAVE A MAJOR DELETERIOUS IMPACTS ON ECONMIC PROFITABILITY VIA IMPAIRED GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND DISEASE RESISTANCE. MOREOVER, WHEN STRESSORS OCCUR EARLY IN LIFE, SUCH AS EARLY WEANING AND PROCESSING, THEY CAN ALTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GUT HAVING LONG-LASTING NEGATIVE IMPACTS THROUGHOUT THE PIGS PRODUCTION LIFESPAN. HOW EARLY LIFE STRESS INFLUENCES INTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH REMAINS UNKNOWN AND THUS TARGETED AND PARCTICAL INTERVENTIONS ARE UNAVAILABLE. THIS PROPOSAL WILL ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL GAP IN KNOWLEDGE BE INVETIGATING THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH STRESS IMPAIRS GUT HEALTH IN PIGS AND WILL TEST A NOVEL EARLY INTERVENTION STRATEGY AIMED AT MODULATING THE INTESTINAL IMMUNE SYSTEM TO PROMOTE OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH OF THE PIG THROUGHOUT THEIR PRODUCTION LIFESPAN.