Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Dairy Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376203
Research Project: Forage Characteristics and Utilization that Improve Efficiency of Growth, Performance, Nutrient Use, and Environmental Impacts of Dairy Production

Location: Dairy Forage Research

Title: Machine learning validation of Buccal swabs as a proxy for rumen microbial contents

Author
item YOUNG, JULIANA - Former ARS Employee
item SKARLUPKA, JOSEPH - University Of Wisconsin
item COX, MADISON - University Of Wisconsin
item RESENDE, RAFAEL - Federal University Of Goias
item FISCHER, AMELIE - The French Livestock Institute
item Kalscheur, Kenneth
item McClure, Jennifer
item Cole, John
item SUEN, GARRET - University Of Wisconsin
item Bickhart, Derek

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/8/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Studies of the cattle rumen have uncovered correlations between the host animal’s genetics and the composition of the rumen microbial community. However, such studies often consist of smaller sample sizes due to a lack of high throughput options for sampling the rumen contents. Young et al. (AEM00861-20) improve on previous work to adapt buccal swab sampling as a proxy for rumen microbial contents by applying Random Forest classifier and regression models to a time course survey of eight cannulated cows. They found that swabs taken one hour prior to animal feeding were the most representative of concurrently sampled rumen contents, and identified 10 oral or feed-associated microbial taxa that could be removed from future models. This discovery has implications on the routine collection of microbial samples from cattle for use in improving animal production systems.