Program 2: Carbohydrate precision feeding

Program Overview

Why is the Program work important?

Controlling the composition and particle sizes of dietary components as well as the use of exogenous enzymes provides an opportunity to find the sweet spot in diet formulation that both nourishes the gut microbiota while maintaining feed efficiency. Past feeding trials using empirical methods have shown some promise but are often hard to generalise.

Program 2 aims to develop a more predictable mechanism-based approach to identify ideal dietary ingredients, enzyme use, and processing methods that support efficient feed conversion and a resilient gut microbiota capable of resisting pathogens.

Program aim

To find ‘sweet spots’ of diet ingredients and formulation that provide digestible carbohydrate and protein for rapid growth and sufficient non-digestible carbohydrate to maintain a healthy gut microbiota that can limit pathogen infection.

Program focus

The Carbohydrate precision feeding program will:

• Understand in detail the nature of undigested feed at the ileum.
• Define opportunities for enhanced digestibility through predictable control of feed ingredients, processing and enzyme addition.
• Identify undigested (ileal) residual feed structures that result in promotion of a healthy gut that can prevent pathogen growth during in vitro fermentation.
• Based on insights from the above three objectives, define options for feed formulations and processing that strike the desired balance between efficient digestion of carbohydrate and protein in the small intestine with appropriate residual carbohydrates and protein available for nourishing a healthy caecal and colonic microbiota in vivo.

Meet the program team