Rumen microbiome offers a model for resilience; timing and native microbes matter, speaker says
September 21, 2026 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Executive, Federal
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Dr. Phillip Myer of the University of Tennessee framed the rumen microbiome as a model for studying resilience—highlighting adaptation, stability and function—and described trials where targeted native microbes increased network centrality and correlated with improved performance measures.
Myer stressed that resilience should be judged by successful adaptation and function rather than an absence of change. He presented time-course data showing that although microbial adaptation begins quickly after a dietary change, a relatively stable community may not emerge until 10–12 weeks: "it takes 10 to 12 weeks on this extreme dietary change to even have a relatively stable microbial community," he said, arguing sampling timing is critical for accurate inference.
Describing a trial that dosed six native microbes, Myer said five of the six declined in absolute abundance by the trial end but had outsized effects on community connectivity and centrality, which he linked to improved average daily gain in some trials. He emphasized management and nutrition that support a larger proportion of healthy animals as the most practical prevention strategy to reduce circumstances requiring antimicrobial interventions.
Myer concluded that strengthening the rumen microbiome via diet and targeted native microbes is a promising prevention strategy for antimicrobial-resistance pathways but said the hypotheses require further testing in production settings.
Myer stressed that resilience should be judged by successful adaptation and function rather than an absence of change. He presented time-course data showing that although microbial adaptation begins quickly after a dietary change, a relatively stable community may not emerge until 10–12 weeks: "it takes 10 to 12 weeks on this extreme dietary change to even have a relatively stable microbial community," he said, arguing sampling timing is critical for accurate inference.
Describing a trial that dosed six native microbes, Myer said five of the six declined in absolute abundance by the trial end but had outsized effects on community connectivity and centrality, which he linked to improved average daily gain in some trials. He emphasized management and nutrition that support a larger proportion of healthy animals as the most practical prevention strategy to reduce circumstances requiring antimicrobial interventions.
Myer concluded that strengthening the rumen microbiome via diet and targeted native microbes is a promising prevention strategy for antimicrobial-resistance pathways but said the hypotheses require further testing in production settings.
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