Reproductive failure in cattle is complex and can be caused by a number of factors such as infection, poor nutrition and poor reproductive management. However, in addition to these extrinsic factors it is now recognised that the female reproductive system harbours a wide variety of microbes, which play important roles in health and well being. Changes in the microbial community within the lower reproductive tract have been implicated in poor reproductive outcomes including impaired ability to conceive, miscarriage and preterm birth in humans. In cattle, despite analysis of the reproductive tract microbiome and its associations with bacterial infection, little is actually known about the normal microbiota and how its changes during the oestrus cycle can affect fertility. Find out more: https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin/postgraduate/studentships/does-the-vaginal-microbiome-predict-pregnancy-outcomes-in-dairy-cattle
