NECROTIC ENTERITIS (NE) IS ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY DEVASTATING DISEASES OF POULTRY COSTING THE INDUSTRY APPROXIMATELY $6 BILLION ANNUALLY. CURRENTLY, NO EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE OR THERAPEUTIC MEASURES EXIST AGAINST NE. IN THIS PROJECT, WE SEEK TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF MANIPULATING GUT MICROBIOTA IN THE MITIGATION OF NE. NE-RESISTANT AND -SUSCEPTIBLE CHICKEN BREEDS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO NE WITH THE GOAL TO IDENTIFY GUT BACTERIA AND THEIR METABOLITES THAT ARE ENRICHED IN RESISTANT CHICKENS. FECAL MICROBIOTA FROM NE-RESISTANT AND -SUSCEPTIBLE CHICKENS WILL BE FURTHER TRANSPLANTED INTO NAÏVE CHICKENS, FOLLOWED BY A COMPARISON OF THEIR EFFICACY IN ALLEVIATING NE. ADDITIONALLY, SELECTED GUT BACTERIA AND METABOLITES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NE RESISTANCE WILL BE INOCULATED INTO NAÏVE CHICKENS AND ASSESSED FOR THEIR ROLE IN NE MITIGATION. UPON COMPLETION, THIS PROJECT WILL DEMONSTRATE PROOF-OF-CONCEPT FOR A NOVEL MICROBIOME-BASED, ANTIBIOTIC-FREE APPROACH TO THE ALLEVIATION OF NE AND POSSIBLY OTHER ENTERIC DISEASES AS WELL.
$300,000FY2022National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK