Environmental conditions and dietary components profoundly impact the immune system of piglets, especially at an early age. In turn, their microbiota and immune system interact to maintain gut homeostasis and functions, including nutrient absorption. In that matter, the industry has observed over the years that feeding piglets with different functional foods can improve post-weaning growth and gut health. So in this episode, we have a great talk with Dr. Martin Lessard, who has built a broad and outstanding career by researching many of those functional foods. By presenting the subject in a digested way, Dr. Lessard leads us through a journey inside the pig microbiome and the strategies we can apply to support piglets right at the beginning of their lives. 

"All animals have different microbiotas, so defining what makes a microbiota "good" is hard. If piglets grow well, that means the immune system and the digestion are going well, so that's what you call a "good" microbiota." – Dr. Martin Lessard

What you’ll learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:58) Introduction
• (04:19) Research on enhancing the immune system of piglets
• (23:04) Supplementation with vitamins 
• (26:40) Defining a "normal" microbiome
• (31:48) Strategies for preventing low birth weight
• (38:27) Key takeaways
• (41:39) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Martin Lessard

Experience:

• Current: Biologist (Ph.D. program, 1984-1988) and Research Scientist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (1988-2020)

Background:

• Ph.D., Nutrition and Veterinary Immunology (Université Laval)
• M.Sc., Animal Science (Université Laval)
• B.Sc., Agronomy (Université Laval)

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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