Characterization of the microbiomes of different body regions of koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). koala metagenome

We describe the microbiome composition of different body regions of two captive koalas: the eye and digestion associated organs, such as mouth and gut through both rectal swabs and feces. We want to establish a baseline for the microbiome of healthy koala eyes, since koalas frequently suffer from ocular infections caused by the highly prevalent Chlamydia. We want also to determine whether digestion associated bacterial communities are unusual in koalas given their special diet of Eucalyptus leaves. Furthermore we compare rectal swabs and feces as alternative samples to describe gut microbial diversity and investigate whether captivity can influence koala gut microbiome by comparison with data from wild koalas.