SustainCattle: mitigating methane emission and improving food security by unveiling the alternative hydrogen pathway in cattle rumen

Ruminant animals play an important role in food security by converting low-value plant biomass into high-value animal proteins through microbial-mediated fermentation. The process produces methane (CH4) which is a highly potent greenhouse gas as well. Feed additives offering CH4 emission mitigation opportunities, especially 3-nitroxypropanol (3NOP) approved and marketed in the European Union which can reduce approximately 30% methane emission. There are adverse effects such as feed digestion, energy balance and animal performance impede the improvement of CH4 reduction by these feed additives. To solve this, the direction of Hydrogen flow is curious. Redirection of the Hydrogen by hydrogenotrophs to nutrient compounds other than CH4 or accumulated in the rumen is the desirable strategy. However, the knowledge about the species and pathway involved in this process are unknown. This project aims to fill these two gaps by integrating state-of-the-art bioinformatics and microbiology.