RapportFondation 2025 V02 EN light - Flipbook - Page 62
Supporting SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
2024 REPORT
BELGIUM
A revealing microbiome:
WHAT SEALS’ INTESTINES SAY ABOUT THEIR HEALTH
AMOUNT COMMITTED TO DATE: WE CONTRIBUTE
THROUGH TIME-INVESTMENT OF OUR TEAMS.
FOCUS
2023 > 2024
What if the microbes that live in seals’ intestines could tell us a
lot about their health? That’s the idea behind this project, led by
KU Leuven, which seeks to use the intestinal microbiome – an
ecosystem of microorganisms essential for digestion, immunity
and resistance to disease – as an indicator of well-being and the
impact of human activities on these iconic North Sea creatures.
Before moving on to study wild populations, samples of intestinal
content were taken rectally from Pairi Daiza’s seals to find the
best sampling and analysis method. Several techniques were
compared: different preservation solutions, DNA extraction
methods and the effect that freezing has on samples.
These tests made it possible to define an optimal protocol for
future studies of seals in the wild, in order to better monitor their
health and the effects of pollution on their bodies.
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