Objective: to investigate whether calves that get pneumonia have a different lung microbiome before the disease event, and how this information can be used for early disease detection and prevention. Specifically:

• Identify lung microbiome profiles associated with increased growth performance and reduced occurrence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) that can be used as diagnostic markers for early detection of BRD and/or animals predisposed to BRD.
•  Exploit this new knowledge to develop alternatives to antibiotics for BRD prevention based on modulation of the respiratory microbiota or selection of BRD-resistant cattle lineages.