Methods, apparatuses and systems for analyzing microorganism strains from complex heterogeneous communities, predicting and identifying functional relationships and interactions thereof, and selecting and synthesizing microbial ensembles based thereon

A method, comprising:

• improving rumen function in a ruminant by administering an endomicrobial feed supplement thereto, the endomicrobial feed supplement including a synthetic microbial ensemble, including:
• selecting at least three active microorganism strains, the selected at least three active microorganism strains included in a set of active microorganism strains identified based on results from an analysis of a plurality of rumen samples collected from a sample population of ruminants, the results including a categorization of active microorganisms strains according at least one of predicted function and chemistry, the analysis including:
• detecting the presence of one or more microorganism types and determining an absolute number of each of the one or more microorganism types for each rumen sample;
• measuring unique markers and quantity thereof for each rumen sample, each unique marker being a marker of a microorganism strain of one microorganism type of the one or more microorganism types;
• determining an absolute cell count of each microorganism strain in each rumen sample from the absolute number of each of the one or more microorganism types and relative quantity of unique markers;
• determining an activity level for each microorganism strain in each rumen sample;
• selecting, based on activity level, a set of active microorganism strains and determining their respective absolute cell counts for each rumen sample;
• identifying a performance indicator associated with an animal and related to each rumen sample;
• measuring at least one metadata associated with the performance indicator related to each rumen sample;
• identifying network relationships (1) between active microorganism strains and (2) between active microorganism strains and the at least one metadata associated with the performance indicator;
• and
• categorizing active microorganism strains based on the network relationships between the active microorganism strains and between the active microorganism strains and the at least one metadata according to at least one predicted function and chemistry;
• preparing at least one active microorganism strain of the at least three active microorganism strains for inclusion in an endomicrobial feed supplement;
• forming the endomicrobial feed supplement by mixing the at least one active microorganism strain of the at least three active microorganism strains with at least one medium;
• and
• packaging the formed endomicrobial feed supplement for subsequent administration as a top dress, in a partial mixed ration, and/or in a total mixed ration to the animal to elicit a change in the performance indicator associated with the animal.