An introduction to the canine microbiome
The community of organisms that live within the digestive tract are known as the gut microbiome, and there are literally trillions of them.
Read articleA Summer in Microbiome Science: Lotti’s BIOME9 Experience
At BIOME9, we believe science is for sharing.
We love giving students and early-career scientists the chance to gain hands-on experience, bring fresh ideas to our work, and learn more about the exciting and rapidly developing world of microbiome science and next-generation sequencing.
This summer, Lotti spent some time with our team at the BIOME9 laboratory at AberInnovation before heading to the University of Oxford to begin her Master’s.
We caught up with her to hear about her experience...
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Lotti Heathcote BSc
Student Researcher
Hi! My name’s Lotti, and I’ve just finished a summer internship at BIOME9.
As a physics student, spending my summer working with DNA in a bioscience lab might not seem like the obvious choice. However, I have two dogs of my own – Pebbles and Jack – and, being Golden Labradors, they always seem to have some sort of gut issue! When I saw the work that BIOME9 does, I thought it would be a great opportunity to apply science to a topic close to my heart. With my final year of university approaching, where I’ll be specialising in biophysics, I was also really keen to get some hands-on experience working in a biological lab.
During my internship, I was able to shadow the bioscientists at BIOME9 and learn about the laboratory processes used to extract and purify DNA ready for sequencing. After extraction, I prepared DNA samples for quantification and used a Qubit fluorometer to measure DNA concentrations. My favourite part was definitely getting to grips with micropipetting. Coming from physics, where so much of my degree has been theoretical, there was something really satisfying about becoming confident at micropipetting such small volumes of DNA and reagents between test tubes.
Overall, my summer at BIOME9 has given me practical experience in a completely different area of science and much more confidence in the lab. It’s been great preparation for my final year, and I’m excited to take the skills I’ve learnt here back to university with me.
Frequently asked questions
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The microbiome is the name given to the collection of microbes, mostly bacteria, but also fungi and protozoa, that exist within your dog’s gut. It is a diverse and complex microbial community which can directly affect health and wellbeing. We know that 90% of a human’s body cells are microbes, with only 10% being human cells – it’s just that human cells are markedly larger than the microbes. It’s similar for our four-legged friends. Testing the microbiome gives us an idea of exactly which bacteria are present in your dog’s gut and this can help indicate existing or future health problems.
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A healthy diversity within the microbiome has been found to be an accurate indicator of overall health and wellbeing. If your dog appears healthy, but has an imbalance in their microbiome, then this could be an indicator of a potential future health issue. If your dog has any existing health complaints, then improving the health of their microbiome can help to improve immune system health and overall wellbeing, as well as improving disease symptoms.
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Testing and treatment have the potential to help with a whole range of different health complaints. The immune system is very closely associated with the gut, so any imbalance in the microbiome can influence immune system health, overall vitality and wellbeing. Our supplement recommendations are also tailored to your individual dog, with specific ranges designed to help with gastrointestinal inflammation, joint problems, allergies and skin complaints, to name a few.
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All you need to do is order a kit online and fill in our questionnaire about your dog and their general health. We will then send the kit out to you by post. You then just need to collect a sample and return it to us, again by post. Once the test is performed, we will email the results directly to you.
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You do not need to get your vet’s permission to test, or talk to them about performing the test beforehand. We do recommend that you pass on a copy of your test results to your regular vets, as it may help them in understanding your pet’s current health, and any future complaints they may have.
Still have questions? Speak to an expert
Get in touchGet in touch with our team to talk about our microbiome test kit, precision supplements, and more.
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