Identifying changes in gut microbial community structure associated with varying levels of fiber consumption in captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla)
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)
Major/Field of Study
Bioinformatics
Other
Biomedical Informatics
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-1633-1229
Advisor Information
I have 2 faculty advisors on this project
Location
MBSC Ballroom Poster # 1102 - G (Doctoral)
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
24-3-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
24-3-2023 10:15 AM
Abstract
The gut microbiome includes all the bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that live in the gut. The gut microbiome plays an important role in the overall health of an organism as it aids in digestion and immune system benefits. Fiber has been known to influence the composition of the gut microbiome, and this study aims to identify taxa that are associated with a change of fiber in the diet in a primate model using reproducible computational methods for microbiome analysis. In a partnership with the Philidelphia Zoo, we received 16s rRNA samples from 7 gorillas over an 8-month period for analysis. Samples were analyzed using a developed 16s rRNA pipeline to understand taxa differences in the gut microbiome due to a change in fiber amount over an 8-month period. For analysis, the samples of three gorillas who did not receive antibiotic treatment during the study were grouped based on browse levels, for a total of 5 comparisons. Results indicate subtle changes in the taxa in the microbiome of the gorillas during the study period at the individual gorilla level. These results may inform optimal fiber intake for primate diet, while also realizing how individual the gut microbiome is.
Scheduling
9:15-10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m.-Noon, 1-2:15 p.m.
Identifying changes in gut microbial community structure associated with varying levels of fiber consumption in captive gorillas (gorilla gorilla)
MBSC Ballroom Poster # 1102 - G (Doctoral)
The gut microbiome includes all the bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that live in the gut. The gut microbiome plays an important role in the overall health of an organism as it aids in digestion and immune system benefits. Fiber has been known to influence the composition of the gut microbiome, and this study aims to identify taxa that are associated with a change of fiber in the diet in a primate model using reproducible computational methods for microbiome analysis. In a partnership with the Philidelphia Zoo, we received 16s rRNA samples from 7 gorillas over an 8-month period for analysis. Samples were analyzed using a developed 16s rRNA pipeline to understand taxa differences in the gut microbiome due to a change in fiber amount over an 8-month period. For analysis, the samples of three gorillas who did not receive antibiotic treatment during the study were grouped based on browse levels, for a total of 5 comparisons. Results indicate subtle changes in the taxa in the microbiome of the gorillas during the study period at the individual gorilla level. These results may inform optimal fiber intake for primate diet, while also realizing how individual the gut microbiome is.