Centre of Biosciences SAS
Topic
Characterization of bacterial microbiota of the skin in horses
PhD. program
Microbiology
Year of admission
2024
Name of the supervisor
MVDr. Viola Strompfová, DrSc.
Contact:
Receiving school
University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice
Annotation
The skin, the largest and most exposed organ by surface area, represents an ecological niche for an enormous spectrum of microorganisms that contribute to the barrier function of the skin and skin homeostasis. Any changes in the population of commensal microorganisms are associated with physiological changes occuring during various dermatological diseases or aging. Nevertheless, the amount of knowledge on the composition, diversity and functions of the skin microbiota in horses is negligible. Knowing the taxonomic composition of the microbiota under physiological and pathological conditions and its properties will help with the search for appropriate therapeutic strategies in relatively frequently occurring dermatological diseases in horses, will help to improve welfare by accelerating healing, and will help to reduce the danger of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Part of the work will be the search for suitable strategies for optimizing/stabilizing the bacterial population of the skin in order to preserve the physiological functions of the skin.