By elocal magazine
In a major funding initiative, the government and agricultural sector have committed $13.5m to develop a methane-reducing vaccine for livestock.
“A methane vaccine would be a transformational tool for New Zealand’s agricultural sector,” says AgriZeroNZ CEO Wayne McNee, emphasising its potential to aid both New Zealand farmers and those worldwide.
The project, led by the biotech startup Lucidome Bio and supported by AgriZeroNZ and the NZ Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), aims to create an affordable solution that curbs methane emissions without requiring extensive changes to farming systems.
The vaccine’s development targets methane-producing microbes in ruminants. These are animals that digest food in two steps, primarily by chewing and then fermenting it in a specialised stomach chamber called the rumen. Antibodies, generated in the animals’ saliva, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to NZAGRC Executive Director Naomi Parker, this work is challenging due to the rumen’s complex biology. However, some progress has been made.
Lucidome Bio’s work benefits from global backing as well, with the Bezos Earth Fund recently providing $9.4 million for methane reduction technologies worldwide.
Funding will support field trials and further development as Lucidome Bio prepares to introduce a commercial vaccine to the market.
Centrist Ltd.
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