Our Story
We began researching the microbiome of dogs in 2013 as our parent company Phytorigins. We were fortunate to work with some of the leaders in the field based at Aberystwyth University.
At that time sequencing technology was in its infancy and we had to freeze the faecal samples immediately after collection which made commercialisation impossible due to the cost and difficulty of dry ice transportation. To complete our first research projects we drove to collection points around the country in a refrigerated van, donated by the university. This enabled us to begin to gather the important data needed to not only identify the bacteria 'Who's in there' but to also make sense of the complex inter-relationships of the microbiome.
The first presentation of that research was made by
Gabi de la Fuente at the ESVCN a non-profit organisation
relating to academic research in veterinary nutrition,
comparative nutrition and nutrition-related diseases.
In 2018 and with the advent of 16s rRNA sequencing we were finally able to offer a service to pet owners. We were very excited to present our findings to vets initially and attended several animal veterinary exhibitions.
Collaborative research projects with universities and veterinary hospitals/practices include.
Inflammatory biomarkers in the oral microbiome – horses and dogs
Obesity in Dogs - a 2-year Project with a national pet food company, several vet practices, and the microbiology team at Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities.
A four-year project on obesity biomarkers, and changes in gut bacteria in the gut-horses and dogs involving the leading team of gut microbiome researchers in the UK with Professor Jamie Newbold Kirsty Dougal and Gabi de la Fuente.
The Extraction of a novel compound to help reduce the effects of obesity including the reduction of inflammation in the gut.
Assimilation of raw data from the genome and profile this against the complex internal microbial communities and the phenotype status of the dog (breed, health and age).
A microbiome profile of the canine microbiome during Covid-19, how did this virus impact the microbial community? Read article
The Use of ML/AI.
In the last 12 months we have developed and completed over fifty different gut microbiome profiles linking dysbiosis/imbalances with health conditions and diseases, we have achieved this by sequencing thousands of samples from affected and healthy dogs and using collaborative research with leading AI developers in the UK, Australia and Silicon Valley USA.
This new material will be presented for the
first time at the Natural Dog Expo conference
Because of the emerging links and strong association between gut dysbiosis and the brain and its effects on temperament (anxiety/aggression) PetBiome will also be exhibiting at the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors
We are committed to continuous professional deveopment for professional health care providers and run regular online courses for more info please email carol@biome4pets.com. We also publish regular articles on Improve International Veterinary Education.
Your Research Needs
We have been involved in over 20 successful research
projects both for multinational pet food manufacturers
and small
independant businesses wanting to add scientific value
to their products or provide better information
to their customers.
We've also provided data and analysis for wild life charities.
We can rapidly provide support for any R & D project,
this is the age of the genome!
Take advantage of our wealth of knowledge and
experience contact us today.
Prior research projects include cats, dogs, avian,
exotics, equine, camels, elephants,
donkeys, ruminants and even soil!
In collaboration with Aberystwyth University
email carol@biome4pets.com.
About Us
We provide quality and experience, with 10 years of research and development, we have an in-depth understanding of companion animal microbiome science and the underpinning technology.
We are leaders in our field, using a real-time reporting system, continuously updated through our independent microbiome research.
PetBiome was the first companion animal dedicated laboratory service in the UK, established in 2018, using the latest MiSeq NGS technology to produce a detailed report of the internal microbial community and how the microbes link to health and disease in the dog and cat. PetBiome is made up of a team of highly qualified biochemists, microbiologists, and geneticists, who have been working together in the field since 2014.