Publications by authors named "Katie Summers"

As in-feed antibiotics are phased out of swine production, producers are seeking alternatives to facilitate improvements in growth typically seen from this previously common feed additive. is a prominent commensal fungus in the swine gut that peaks in relative abundance shortly after weaning and has beneficial interactions with other bacteriome members important for piglet health. In this study, piglets were supplemented with to characterize responses in piglet health as well as fungal and bacterial components of the microbiome both spatially (along the entire gastrointestinal tract and feces) and temporally (before, during, and after weaning).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The gut microbiome is an integral partner in host health and plays a role in immune development, altered nutrition, and pathogen prevention. The mycobiome (fungal microbiome) is considered part of the rare biosphere but is still a critical component in health. Next generation sequencing has improved our understanding of fungi in the gut, but methodological challenges remain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The microbiome is an integral part of chicken health and can affect immunity, nutrient utilization, and performance. The role of bacterial microbiota members in host health is relatively well established, but less attention has been paid to fungal members of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) community. However, human studies indicate that fungi play a critical role in health.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The medication misuse epidemic continues to be a major concern for both human and veterinary health-care providers. Medication misuse of veterinary prescribed drugs is contributing to the public health crisis. Education of students regarding appropriate prescribing, communication with clients about medication storage, recognition of signs of vet shopping and animal abuse, and appropriate pain management strategies are essential steps for ensuring our students are prepared for the world that awaits them outside the halls of academic veterinary medicine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The gut microbiome plays important roles in the maintenance of health and pathogenesis of diseases in the growing host. In order to fully comprehend the interplay of the gut microbiome and host, a foundational understanding of longitudinal microbiome, including bacteria and fungi, development is necessary. In this study, we evaluated enteric microbiome and host dynamics throughout the lifetime of commercial swine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Microbiome studies in animal science are getting more popular because the technology is getting cheaper and easier to use.
  • This review aims to help animal scientists who don't know much about a specific technique called 16S rRNA gene sequencing by explaining its basics and important issues to think about.
  • It covers different parts of the study process, like planning, collecting samples, lab work, and analyzing data, and also points out special things to consider for different animals and samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Kazachstania slooffiae is a dimorphic fungus which colonizes the feces and gastrointestinal tract of postweaning pigs. This fungus persists in the gut environment of piglets into adulthood and is implicated in porcine health through microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. Here, we report a draft genome sequence for ABBL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is a fungus commonly isolated from the gastrointestinal tract and feces of post-weaning pigs. Studies have implicated its ability to positively alter piglet gut health through potential symbioses with beneficial bacteria, including and , in providing amino acids as an energy source for microbial and piglet growth, and it has been found to be positively correlated with short-chain fatty acids in the piglet gut. However, basic mycological information remains limited, hampering studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Weaning is a period of environmental changes and stress that results in significant alterations to the piglet gut microbiome and is associated with a predisposition to disease, making potential interventions of interest to the swine industry. In other animals, interactions between the bacteriome and mycobiome can result in altered nutrient absorption and susceptibility to disease, but these interactions remain poorly understood in pigs. Recently, we assessed the colonization dynamics of fungi and bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets at a single time point post-weaning (day 35) and inferred interactions were found between fungal and bacterial members of the porcine gut ecosystem.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Interactions between the bacteria and fungi in the gut microbiome can result in altered nutrition, pathogenicity of infection, and host development, making them a crucial component in host health. Associations between the mycobiome and bacteriome in the piglet gut, in the context of weaning, remain unknown. Weaning is a time of significant stress, dietary changes, microbial alterations, and a predisposition to infection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The importance of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of animals is recognized as a critical player in host health. Recently, the significance of the mycobiome has been recognized, but culture-independent studies are limited, especially in swine. Weaning is a time of stress, dietary changes, and a predisposition to infections, making it a time point of interest to industry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Katie Summers"

  • - Katie Summers' research primarily focuses on the interactions and dynamics of gut microbiomes, specifically the mycobiome (fungal microbiome) and bacteriome in swine and poultry, emphasizing the roles of these microbial communities in host health and disease resistance.
  • - Recent findings indicate that weaning significantly impacts the gastrointestinal bacterial and fungal communities in pigs, highlighting the potential benefits of specific fungal species in enhancing piglet health during this critical transition period.
  • - Summers also addresses methodological challenges in microbiome research and emphasizes the importance of education in veterinary medicine regarding appropriate medication use and its implications for both animal and public health.