Rural Issues: PGGRC And AgResearch Map Methane Genome In Cows
February 16th, 2010
The Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Coalition has achieved what it believes is a scientific first which should help in the search for genetic ways of reducing methane belching by cows and other ruminant animals, which account for almost a third of NZ’s GHG emissions. The research project has mapped the genetic information of one of the microbes responsible for generating methane in animals’ guts. The discovery will accelerate work altering the methane generation of the organism through vaccines and drug interventions.
Methane emissions from sheep and cattle have 21 times the impact of carbon dioxide and are a key target of research, especially after NZ’s success in promoting the creation of a global agricultural GHG emissions research consortium. Researchers are using the gene sequence information to identify parts of the methanogen which will stimulate salivary antibodies to work against these microbes in the ruminant digestive system, as well as seeking small molecule inhibitors that target essential methanogen enzymes.
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