The question of what is a good microbiome all depends on the perspective you are asking. The answer differs if your lens from the perspective of the animal, humans, the microbes, or the climate. The relationships are complex. Microbes produce vital energy and nutrients for the animal. They allow our grazing animals to transform fibrous herbs, shrubs, and grasses into nutrient dense food. They recycle plant carbon and nutrients back into the soils.  Since the first ruminants evolved around 50 million years ago the microbiome and these animals have coevolved together. Our understanding of this process is still very limited but the more we learn the more we realize the importance of this relationship to our society and the natural world. Today there are almost 200 living species of ruminants, nine of which have been domesticated over the last 10,000 years.  I recently caught up with Todd to hear more about his work, you can listen to a short summary followed by our full conversation here.