POUL5101: Living in a microbial world and raising animals: the poultry perspective

It’s a microbial world. We are just living in it.This statement by Professor Mark Martin could not be more relevant than it is today. In every aspect of life, microbes play a role. This is particularly true in agricultural practices used to grow food for the human population. Good and bad, microbes are intricately linked to the practice of raising meat, fruits, and vegetables for human consumption.The purpose of this online course is to emphasize the holobiont, which is the host itself plus the assemblage of microbes living inside and outside of it. This is different than your typical microbiology course. Yes, we will cover the basics of microbiology, and the role of the microbiome in the maintenance of health and disease. But we will also put this information in the context of ecology. Using the poultry production environment as an example, you will learn about the basics of poultry production and how microbes contribute to every aspect of the production chain - including the bird itself, the barns that birds are grown in, the ecosystem surrounding these barns, the processing plants that produce our meat, and even “us” as we interface with live production animals and consume their meat. In practical terms, this course will train you to appreciate and understand how normal “commensal” microbes in the animal and its surrounding environment are important for everyday life, health, and success. This course is suitable for upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, and non-traditional industry professionals.

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