Microbiome Genomics in Livestock Production

Dear Colleagues,

The advent of ‘omics technologies had revolutionized the study of complex interactions between the host and its microbiome (bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses) and the role of the microbiome in animal health, disease and productivity. A field that was dominated by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing has progressed into whole genome sequencing of environments, metagenome wide association studies (MWAS), genome wide association studies (GWAS) of interplay between host genetic variation and its microbiome to meta transcriptomics. Microbial genomics in livestock animals is still in its infancy but, recent publication of several ground-breaking studies describing interaction of host genomics with gut microbiomes, genomics of drug resistance, impact of microbe-pathogen interactions, establishment and characterization of commensal viromes in many livestock species and genomics approaches to study phage therapy etc. proves that microbial genomics has become a subject of immense interest in livestock species.

This research topic focuses on metagenomic sequencing and analyses, bacterial genomics-based pathogen surveillance, genome-based study of bacterial, fungal, protozoal and viral communities, meta-transcriptomics of microbiome communities, environmental impact of livestock microbial communities, etc. and their role in health, disease, and productivity of all major and minor livestock species.

Dr. Udaya DeSilva
Dr. Jenny L. Sones
Guest Editors

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