New interview! Microbial insights powered by collaboration

With his expertise in molecular microbiology and microbial physiology, he contributes to uncovering what happens in the pig’s gut during weaning—a critical period often associated with diarrhea and inflammation, which frequently lead to antibiotic treatment.
Jeppe Lund Nielsen is a professor of molecular microbiology and biotechnology at Aalborg University. His research focuses on microbial physiology—how bacteria behave under different conditions.

"I focus on microbial physiology,  how bacteria change their biochemistry and adapt  specific conditions. That’s probably the reason I was invited into this consortium," Jeppe explains.
This knowledge is crucial for understanding why certain microorganisms thrive under specific circumstances and how these processes influence health and disease.

"We can’t just describe microbial consortia; we can also explain why certain types of microorganisms are favored by local environments and particular purposes and conditions," he adds.
His role in the project is to provide a methodological approach that combines molecular analysis with biological understanding— a combination that enables the interpretation of complex data and its translation into practical knowledge. Although Jeppe and his team are based in Aalborg—somewhat on the periphery of the consortium—the collaboration has been close and highly productive.

"We have a relatively large interface with many different groups, even though we’re not positioned at the center of the consortium," Jeppe says. His laboratory has served as an important resource for Ph.D. students from Aarhus and other partners who needed help interpreting complex datasets.

"We’ve had several Ph.D. students here for three to four months, where we helped them gain a better understanding of their data and provided improved interpretations," he explains."It creates collaborations where we get to know each other and learn each other’s ways of analyzing and interpreting different things," Jeppe notes. This exchange has not only improved data interpretation but also fostered new relationships and networks among researchers.

The partnership has also strengthened the development of new methods and pipelines that can be applied in future projects—an example of how specialized knowledge adds value across disciplines. 
 

Future perspectives

When PIG-PARADIGM concludes, the work doesn’t stop. On the contrary, Jeppe sees significant opportunities to translate the knowledge gained into practical guidelines for farmers. "Hopefully, this will result in guidelines that give us a better understanding of what’s actually happening. And ideally, it will lead to principles for how farmers should act to minimize antibiotic use," he emphasizes.

The project could pave the way for faster diagnostics, a better understanding of microbiome resilience, and more targeted strategies in pig production. "I see this as a much better understanding of what happens in the pig’s microbiome during the weaning period, but also as an opportunity to continue working with this knowledge among the different partners," Jeppe says.

Ultimately, this knowledge could lead to tools that identify which pigs truly need antibiotics and which do not—an effort that strengthens animal welfare and reduces antimicrobial resistance: “Our collaboration with PIG‑PARADIGM has added a unique dimension to the project by bringing a molecular understanding of the microbial processes that drive health and disease in pigs. Together with strong partnerships across institutions, this knowledge enables the development of solutions that advance research, animal welfare, and sustainability in agriculture.”