Meeting Abstract
Gut microbial communities play an essential role in the biological functions of their host. The gut microbiome mediates nutrient absorption, digests food components host enzymes are unable to, and defends the host against enteric pathogens. Gut microbiota may indirectly affect host behavior through these same mechanisms, as well as through microbial neurotransmitters and signaling peptides. Extensive research on gut microbial communities has been conducted on mammals, including humans and rats, but much less has been done in birds. Furthermore, much of the research on the effect of gut microbiota on host behavior makes use of fecal samples as a proxy for difficult to attain direct intestinal samples. Little is known however about the overlap between the microbial community of gut fauna and feces, which limits interpretability of results based on fecal samples. To address this gap in knowledge, we compare five sample types – proventriculus, small intestines, large intestines, cloacal swab, and feces – across individual zebra finches housed in constant conditions with a constant diet. We will compare diversity and community composition through amplicon-based metagenomic sequencing. Gaining insight into noninvasive sampling techniques has implications for studies of gut microbial diversity and abundance in wild bird populations. Further, reliable non-lethal sampling is necessary for temporal sampling and behavioral studies.
