Biology subjects

Talbot, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Talbot, G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and detection of Bacteria and Archaea cells in fecal samples

Oligonucleotide probes have been used to detect bacteria and archaea that colonize the cattle and pig digestive system. The Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is a molecular biology technique that uses oligonucleotides of 15 to 25 nucleotides of length associated with a fluorescent molecule. In microbiology, the FISH technique utilizes probes targeting ribosomal RNA (rRNA). It is one amongst others, a staining technique that allows the identification, detection and quantification of microorganisms without prior cultivation by means of epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). In this study, we describe the usage of the confocal laser scanning microscopy coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), in order to detect and quantify of bacteria and archaea in fecal samples from cattles manure and swine slurry.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Impact of growth-promoting alternatives on weight gain and gut microbial diversity and activity in piglets

In swine husbandry, weaning is a critical event for piglets which causes environmental, nutritional, and psychological stresses, with consequences such as intestinal dysbiosis. To counteract this issue, producers resorted to the use of in-feed antimicrobials to prevent post-weaning diarrhea and to promote growth for increased animal performance. However, the use of antibiotic for growth promotion was banned in many countries. In-feed supplements have great potential as alternative strategies. This study evaluated the effect on gut microbial activity, microbiome, and animal performance of combinations of peri-weaning feeding strategies such as bovine colostrum, medium-chain fatty acids and yeast extract. We quantified weight gain, intestinal pH, volatile fatty acids, and characterized the gut microbiota on ileum, cecum, and colon digestates. Overall, the feed supplements had limited impact on weight gain and volatile fatty acids production. However, the combined treatments have demonstrated a modulatory effect on gut microbiota which supports a potential role as an alternative to growth-promoting antibiotic in the swine industry.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Evolution of enzyme levels in metabolic pathways: A theoretical approach

The central role of metabolism in cell functioning and adaptation has given rise to count-less studies on the evolution of enzyme-coding genes and network topology. However, very few studies have addressed the question of how enzyme concentrations change in response to positive selective pressure on the flux, considered a proxy of fitness. In particular, the way cellular constraints, such as resource limitations and co-regulation, affect the adaptive landscape of a pathway under selection has never been analyzed theoretically. To fill this gap, we developed a model of the evolution of enzyme concentrations that combines metabolic control theory and an adaptive dynamics approach, and integrates possible dependencies between enzyme concentrations. We determined the evolutionary equilibria of enzyme concentrations and their range of neutral variation, and showed that they differ with the properties of the enzymes, the constraints applied to the system and the initial enzyme concentrations. Simulations of long-term evolution confirmed all analytical and numerical predictions, even though we relaxed the simplifying assumptions used in the analytical treatment.

evolutionary biology↗