Part of the book: Scanning Electron Microscopy
Understanding the transboundary movement of microorganisms is a significant public health issue. It is possible that large amounts of various bacteria existing on the earth’s surface are spreading across borders through migratory birds, but their identities and rates of migration have yet to be elucidated. Although modern bacteriology has advanced based on culture technology, many environmental bacteria may be in a “viable but nonculturable” state. To date, various novel culture-independent detection methods have been developed, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology that enables high-throughput sequencing and in-depth gene analysis independent of culture. By using NGS to comprehensively analyze the intestinal microbiota of migratory birds, research on bacterial and viral communities traveling over long distances has entered a new era, providing a new insight for the analysis of the livestock industry, agriculture, and human health risks. Here, we describe the current state and future outcomes of studying intestinal microbiota associated with migratory birds.
Part of the book: Metagenomics for Gut Microbes