Some of the most critical interactions facilitating mammalian life occur between mammals and the diverse communities of microbes that reside within their guts. Plant-eating mammals harbor the most diverse microbial communities. Many of these microbes are important in the degradation of fiber; however, gut microbes may also play an essential role in detoxifying the natural toxins common in plants. This project will investigate how host evolutionary history and dietary toxins shape the diversity of the gut microbiome of herbivorous mammals by focusing on a group of rodents that specialize in eating plants that are toxic to other animals. Woodrats have an unusually toxic diet spanning a broader array of plants than most species. This makes them a potential model system for insight into this poorly understood but clearly important role of biodiversity in allowing animals to cope with plant defenses. The objectives of this project are to 1) identify and compare the microbial communities across chambers of the rodent gut to understand their function 2) investigate the influences of evolutionary history and dietary toxins in sculpting microbial diversity and function; 3) determine how diversity interacts with the liver of the host to facilitate detoxification. This project will provide some of the first insights into the microbial diversity of wild herbivores and the role that plant toxins play in shaping diversity.
This work will advance our understanding of microbial diversity and may reveal new microbes useful for human probiotics. The discovery of novel microbes and genes associated with detoxification is anticipated; such biological material is of great interest to agricultural scientists wishing to improve husbandry practices in livestock. A one-week summer workshop will be offered annually to middle school students to teach concepts of microbial diversity through the development of interactive computer simulations and games.
