Purdue researchers mapped bacteria in pig bellies. They say it could reduce antibiotic use

Researchers at Purdue University have mapped pig gut bacteria in a global study that is likely to become the rubric for all future studies of its kind.

Researchers hope its findings can be used to reduce the use of antibiotics on farms.

Antibiotic use in livestock is an area of growing concern. Scientists are increasingly worried about the likelihood of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria in and around animal farms.

Tim Johnson is a professor of animal sciences at Purdue. He said their research creates a roadmap of how pig gut bacteria is supposed to look over time.

“Pigs have these bacterial milestones that are normal,” he said. “We can begin to see which bacteria are they missing at their milestone for their age? Those could be bacteria we potentially add back to try to help them out.”

According to Johnson, the study allowed scientists to predict a pig's age with 70 percent accuracy based on its stomach bacteria.

“We blinded ourselves to the pig's age, and just used the patterns and bacteria to then predict the animal's age,” he said.

Ultimately, Johnson said their work will help future studies by creating a baseline to which other researchers can compare their results.