Microbiome Manipulation for Conservation of Species

Question 1

what use microbiome manipulation for animal conservation?

Answer 1

• Targets issues at microbial level
• Provides alternatives to antibiotic/chemotherapeutic methods (harmful to environment)
• Relatively fast methods for conservation (emergency approaches)

Question 2

what use microbiome manipulation for animal conservation? - how does it affect the animals

Answer 2

• boost immunity
• promote growth of beneficial microbes
• build resistance to environmental stressors
• target harmful microbes
• promote microbial diversity
• restore symbiotic relationships

Question 3

microbiome manipulation methods

Answer 3

• supplementation
• antibiotics
• selective targeting
• microbiome transplantation

Question 4

microbiome manipulation methods - supplementation

Answer 4

• probiotics/prebiotics promote growth of beneficial microorganisms
• safe reputation

Question 5

microbiome manipulation methods - antibiotics

Answer 5

• substances that inhibit/kill harmful microorganisms
• less favorable

Question 6

microbiome manipulation methods - selective targetting

Answer 6

use of phage/gene editing to kill specific pathogens

Question 7

microbiome manipulation methods - microbiome transplantation

Answer 7

consortium from a honor host to a patient

Question 8

applications in conservation

Answer 8

• effects of climate change
• habitat changes/loss
• diseases
• animals in captivity

Question 9

applications in conservation - effect of climate change

Answer 9

• exposure to chemicals/pollutants
• rising temperatures –> increase/spread of pathogens and vectors

Question 10

applications in conservation - habitat changes/loss

Answer 10

• developed areas, agricultural lands, etc.
• habitat fragmentation

Question 11

applications in conservation - diseases

Answer 11

infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, etc.)

Question 12

applications in conservation - animals in captivity

Answer 12

• lack of microbes found in natural habitat, reduces abundance and diversity
• different/improper diet needed to sustain healthy microbiome

Question 13

research gaps and challenges

Answer 13

• concerns/perceptions of microbiome manipulation
• variability, resilience, and adaptation of host microbiome/microbes
• new field, lacks much needed information

Question 14

research gaps and challenges - concerns/perceptions of microbiome manipulation

Answer 14

• ethical concerns over ‘manipulation’
• consequences on other ecological members/down the food chain
• microbiome resistance

Question 15

research gaps and challenges - Variability, resilience, and adaptation of host microbiomes/microbes

Answer 15

effectiveness of a treatment may vary across individuals of a species

Question 16

research gaps and challenges - new field, lacks much needed information

Answer 16

• need to understand ecological mechanisms behind microbiome assembly/growth/evolution
• understand mechanisms behind probiotics

Question 17

future of microbiome manipulation in conservation

Answer 17

• collaboration between fields
• wider implementation/consideration of microbiome manipulation