Author: Erika Shirer | Major: Animal Science | Semester: Spring 2025
My name is Erika Shirer, and I am an honors student majoring in Animal Science on a Pre-Veterinary Track. My undergraduate research investigated whether dietary fiber and a stimbiotic (a feed additive that enhances fiber fermentability by stimulating fiber-degrading microbiota in the gut) could improve gut microbiome diversity and growth performance in weaning pigs challenged with F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a leading cause of postweaning diarrhea. Weaning stresses the underdeveloped digestive system, disrupting microbiota and triggering inflammation. Extensive literature states that dietary fiber and stimbiotics may enhance nutrient absorption and promote beneficial metabolites, helping mitigate these effects.
In April, I traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to present information as a poster at the 2025 National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR). While there, the research I presented encompassed research from my undergraduate honors thesis involving dietary treatments and their role in combating F18 Escherichia coli in postweaning pigs.
The overall goal of presenting my research at this conference was to convey the effect that dietary fiber and a form of a fiber-degrading enzyme (stimbiotic), when introduced to swine, could modulate their gut microbiome, potentially leading to growth performance improvement during periods of clinical illness, more specifically when challenged with F18 Escherichia coli. Results of the study demonstrated that dietary fiber and fiber-degrading enzymes exerted a distinct effect on the percentage of virulence genes expressed in live E. coli colonies, suggesting a different mechanism for mitigating the effects when challenged with F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC).
Unlike previous conferences that I have attended, which involved a specific academic field of animal science, NCUR welcomed students and presenters from all institutions of higher learning and all disciplines. NCUR is the third conference I have attended, my second conference of the semester, and the first conference I attended after defending my honors thesis. Attending NCUR gave me the unique experience of presenting updated and more extensive research, as I had completed my data collection and successfully defended my undergraduate honors thesis. Additionally, because NCUR promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study, I could observe a wide variety of disciplines and fields of research that other students presented research regarding.
While in a conference setting, I have found a connection between personal success and well-being. Research mentorship, support networks with peers and faculty, and collaborative efforts to bring students together create a sense of interconnectedness. This type of interconnectedness was evident at this conference as we were all situated in an environment where individuals could showcase their collective achievements and engage in scholarly discussions with students in varying disciplines. Focusing on attending a multitude of conferences has easily allowed me to attain goals that I had set for myself, which has helped me reach milestones and reinforce a positive self-image.
As for the future, I will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences this spring, and I am currently applying to veterinary school. In my gap year, I will remain in Fayetteville. I plan to complete an internship, assist with laboratory work, volunteer at veterinary clinics, and obtain a full-time job at an animal clinic. Post gap year, I plan to attend veterinary school and graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.