These techniques are also relevant and adaptable to other gastrointestinal ecosystems and the microbiology of anaerobic environments in general. The future of ruminant gut microbiology research is dependant upon the adoption of these molecular based research technologies and the challenge at present is the use of these technologies to improve ruminant production and decrease environment pollutants throug a better understanding of microbial function and ecology. It is hoped that this book would better equip the readers to meet this unprecedental challenge.
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Methods in Gut Microbial Ecology for Ruminants
2005
Book
Edited by Harinder P.S. Makkar and Christopher S. McSweeney. Springer Publishers 2005.
This book gives a comprehensive account of the methodologies for conventional (classical culture based techniques, such as isolation, enumeration and nutritional characterization) and modern molecular techniques (the use of small sub-unit rDNA analysis e.g. 16S rDNA using RT-PCR, Oligonucleotide Probes, Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Northern Blot Analysis, etc.) that are currently in use for studying the gut microbial ecology of ruminants. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize the understanding of rumen function and will overcome the limitations of classical based techniques, including isolation and taxonometric identification of strains important to efficient rumen function and better understanding of the roles of microorganisms in relation to achieving high productivity and decreasing environmental pollutants.
