Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Microb Ecol. 2018 Nov;76(4):851-855. doi: 10.1007/s00248-018-1182-4. Epub 2018 Apr 5.
Over the past few decades, studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiota strongly influences the physiology, behavior, and fitness of its host. Such studies have been conducted primarily in humans and model organisms under controlled laboratory conditions. More recently, researchers have realized the importance of placing host-associated microbiota studies into a more ecological context; however, few non-destructive methods have been established to collect fecal samples from wild birds. Here, we present an inexpensive and easy-to-use kit for the non-invasive collection of feces from small birds. The portability of the collection kit makes this method amenable to field studies, especially those in remote areas. The main components of the collection kit include a flat-bottomed paper bag, a large modified weigh boat (tray), vinyl-coated hardware cloth fencing (grate), a clothespin, and a 10% bleach solution (to sterilize the tray and grate). In the paper bag, a sterile tray is placed under a small grate, which prevents the birds from contacting the feces and reduces the risk of contamination. After capture, the bird is placed in the bag for 3-5 min until it defecates. After the bird is removed from the bag, the tray is extracted and the fecal sample is moved to a collection tube and frozen or preserved. We believe that our method is an affordable and easy option for researchers studying the gut microbiota of wild birds.
在过去的几十年中，研究表明肠道微生物群强烈影响其宿主的生理、行为和适应性。这些研究主要在人类和受控实验室条件下的模式生物中进行。最近，研究人员已经意识到将宿主相关微生物组研究置于更生态背景下的重要性；然而，很少有非破坏性方法被建立来从野生鸟类中收集粪便样本。在这里，我们提出了一种从小型鸟类中进行非侵入性粪便收集的廉价且易于使用的试剂盒。收集套件的便携性使这种方法适用于野外研究，特别是在偏远地区的研究。收集套件的主要组件包括一个平底纸袋、一个大的改良称重船（托盘）、乙烯基涂层金属丝布围栏（格栅）、一个衣夹和 10%的漂白剂溶液（用于对托盘和格栅进行消毒）。在纸袋中，一个无菌托盘放在一个小格栅下面，这可以防止鸟类接触粪便并降低污染的风险。捕获后，将鸟放入袋子中 3-5 分钟，直到它排便。鸟从袋子中取出后，取出托盘，将粪便样本转移到收集管中并冷冻或保存。我们相信，我们的方法对于研究野生鸟类肠道微生物组的研究人员来说是一种负担得起且简单的选择。
