Italian Journal of Animal Science

Microbiomes are complex, dynamic, changeable, and adaptable ecosystems, composed of microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses) which are adapted to the host’s microenvironments.

The role of the microbiome is well recognised as one of the pillars of the physiological homeostasis of livestock animals and its role in the efficiency and robustness of farmed animals is of growing interest. It is composed not only of symbiotic microorganisms with positive effects on the hosts’ health and physiology, but it could be also characterized by transient microorganisms and/or by potential pathogens. Moreover, the microbiota can be specific to each area of the body such as the gut, vagina, respiratory tract etc. and it can have direct and indirect effects on food quality, safety, and sustainability.

Of course, continuous up to date information on the complex interaction between the host and their microbiota is very much needed, not just to characterize its fingerprints but also to provide information on its functions which can affect the host metabolome with reverberations on its homeostasis. In animal science, open questions still remain, and further research is needed to disentangle the complex role of the microbiome.

This Article Collection is open to original research, reviews and meta-analysis papers which are able to offer perspectives for understanding the role of microbiome in animal health, the development of important commercial traits, and its contribution to reducing environmental footprints while increasing the food yield and sustainability with significant impact in the livestock sector. We aim to provide readers an up-to-date snapshot of microbiome research in livestock.

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All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and peer-review as part of our standard editorial process. Guest Advisors will not be involved in peer-reviewing manuscripts unless they are an existing member of the Editorial Board.

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 31 August 2024.

Authors submitting to this Article Collection may be eligible for a discount on the journal's Article Publishing Charge (APC). Please contact Alexander Dearman at [email protected] with any queries regarding this Article Collection.

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About the Guest Advisors

Prof. Paolo Trevisi is a Professor in Animal Nutrition and Feeding at the University of Bologna. He is also the Vice-President of the Study Commission on Pig of the EAAP and Associate Editor for Monogastric Animals for the Italian Journal of Animal Science, member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. He was appointed as the National Expert for livestock animals to define the concept paper “Italian microbiome initiative for improved human health and agri-food production”. He has also authored more than 125 papers in peer reviewed journals.

Prof. Arianna Buccioni is a Professor in Animal Nutrition and Feeding at the University of Florence. She is also the Deputy Director of Centro interdipartimentale per la Ricerca e la valorizzazione degli Alimenti (CeRA) at the University of Florence. Dr. Buccioni’s major scientific activities are focused on the effect of the feeding strategies on rumen ecology and the quality of milk from large and small ruminants. She has authored over 87 papers in peer reviewed journals.

Conflict of interest: Prof. Paolo Trevisi is scientific manager for the Department of Agri-Food Science and Technology, of the University of Bologna for some Research Agreements with companies to study the mechanism of action of some feed additives in weaning pigs. Prof. Arianna Buccioni declares no conflict of interest.

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