Antibiotics, a cornerstone of animal agriculture are administered as therapeutics, metaphylactics, and antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs). Mounting restrictions on antibiotic use in animal agriculture necessitates that effective and non-antibiotic alternatives are identified. Many current alternatives to AGPs are focused on dietary interventions in the industry, and potentially through their impacts on the microbiome. Although microbiome studies have advanced greatly in recent years, a need still exists to isolate and preserve bacteria, and ascertain their function experimentally. Furthermore, these bacteria hold great potential to deliver innovations for livestock production, including as alternatives to antibiotics.
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