Research programmes
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Microbiome meta-analysis data mining for predictive biomarkers of laminitis risk
About the Project
Background: Laminitis remains one of the most significant causes of equine suffering and premature euthanasia worldwide. Strongly associated with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), it is a priority area for improving equine welfare. Despite advances in the understanding of EMS and the pathophysiology of laminitis, there are limited tools to predict which individual animals are at risk. Preventive strategies exist but cannot yet be precisely targeted due to the lack of predictive biomarkers.
Recent research has highlighted the potential of the gut microbiome in modulating metabolic health, with specific microbial profiles associated with insulin regulation and obesity-related phenotypes in multiple species. In equines, variation in the gut microbiota has been observed between metabolically healthy and EMS-affected individuals. However, robust biomarkers that predict laminitis risk across populations have not yet been identified, largely due to challenges in reproducibility, small cohort sizes, and technical variation across studies.
Aims and objectives:
This PhD project aims to identify microbiome-derived biomarkers that can be used to predict individual risk of developing laminitis, enabling earlier intervention and targeted prevention. The key objectives are:
- To conduct a large-scale meta-analysis of equine gut microbiome samples from multiple published and unpublished studies to assess microbial signatures associated with obesity, EMS and laminitis.
- To develop and validate novel statistical and computational methods to account for technical variation between datasets, increasing the reliability and generalisability of findings.
- To apply machine learning techniques to identify robust microbial taxa or functional pathways that consistently associate with metabolic phenotypes and laminitis risk.
- To validate identified biomarkers in a unique, prospectively phenotyped pony cohort (>200 individuals), using faecal microbiome data, clinical metabolic measures (e.g. insulin response tests), and laminitis incidence records.
Start date
Monday, November 3, 2025
Further details and how to apply
Closes Monday, September 15, 2025
Self-funded MScR opportunities
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Start date
September 2025
How to apply
Before applying, please carefully read the information on the prospectus Veterinary Sciences | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol and make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and have all the documents listed in the PhD and MSc by Research Veterinary Sciences Admissions Statements. A research statement and supervisor support form are not required – please add a blank sheet of paper when these documents are requested.
To apply for any of these projects go to http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply and on the “Start your application” page select “Veterinary Science (MSc by Research)”. Select Sept 2025 start.
Funding Notes
These Masters by Research projects are available to UK and international students who wish to self-fund their studies or who have access to their own funding. See Postgraduate research tuition fees | Current students | University of Bristol for tuition fees. For these particular projects no bench fees are charged.
Contacts
Please contact fohs-pgadmissions@bristol.ac.uk with any queries about your application