When one thinks about making farming more sustainable, they probably don’t picture bacteria. But deep inside the intestines of every pig on every farm around the world, there’s an invisible ecosystem doing a very important job….understanding it could help us feed a growing planet more sustainably. That’s what I’ve been exploring for my PhD: the secret relationship between what pigs eat, the trillions of microbes living in their guts, and the pigs themselves.
Why Should Anyone Care About Pig Gut Bacteria?
Surprisingly we’re raising about a billion pigs worldwide, and they’re the primary source of meat for much of the global population. But here’s the problem—feeding them efficiently is expensive and wasteful. Protein is the costliest part of pig feed. When pigs are unable to properly digest protein in their diet, much of it passes through the digestive system unused. This leads to financial losses for farmers, from increased nitrogen waste to higher feed costs, inefficient use of feed, and negative environmental impacts, as the excess protein ends up in waste rather than being absorbed.
But what if we could help pigs digest their food better using the microbiome?
The pig provides the raw materials (food), but it’s the bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes—collectively called the microbiome—that do much of the actual work. They break down complex proteins and fibers that the pig cannot independently. Different microbes have different jobs. Some specialize in dismantling proteins. Others tackle tough plant fibers. Some produce vitamins. We’ve known for years that the microbiome matters, but we haven’t really understood how it works or why some pigs have more helpful microbes than others.
What I’m Actually Doing:
My research involves two different questions, both centered on pigs:
Investigation 1: Can a Pig’s Genes Predict Its Gut Microbes?
We already know that some pigs are genetically better at converting protein into muscle. Farmers have been selectively breeding for this trait for years. But here’s the question: do genetically efficient pigs also have different gut microbes?
To find out, I’m analyzing data from a feeding trial where pigs with high and low genetic potential for protein efficiency were fed different amounts of a key amino acid (lysine, one of the building blocks of protein). Using DNA sequencing, we can identify every microbial species in their guts and map out what each one is capable of doing.
It’s like taking a census of an entire city—not just counting residents, but figuring out everyone’s job, skillset, and which neighborhoods they live in. Then I compare the “cities” (microbiomes) in genetically different pigs to see if certain microbes consistently show up in the more efficient animals.
The goal: If specific microbes could one day help pigs use protein better, we might be able to introduce those microbes to other pigs—no genetic modification required, just microbial matchmaking.
Investigation 2: What Did We Lose When We Domesticated Pigs?
Thousands of years ago, pigs lived in forests, eating whatever they could forage. Today, most pigs live in controlled environments eating standardized feed. That’s quite a lifestyle change—and their gut microbiomes have changed with them. Here’s where it gets interesting: what if domestication caused pigs to lose beneficial microbes? Could controlled feeds also introduce different ones?
Wild boars still exist around the world. By comparing their gut microbiomes to those of modern farm pigs, we can identify which microbes disappeared during domestication. Some of these missing microbes might have helped wild pigs stay healthier, digest plant materials, or resist diseases. I’m building a of pig gut microbiomes—a comprehensive database collecting data from pigs in different countries, different breeds, and different lifestyles (wild, feral, free-range, and intensively farmed). The goal of this initiative Identify lost or gained microbes that might be beneficial, and explore whether reintroducing them could improve animal welfare, health, or environmental sustainability on modern farms.
Think i am doing this in the next lines?
