The rumen microbiota plays a pivotal role in fiber degradation, which is essential for ruminant nutrition. Yet, the complex interactions among microbial species in the rumen remain poorly understood. With the global imperative to improve feed efficiency and reduce methane emissions from ruminants, identifying minimal, high-performing cellulolytic consortia offers a promising research avenue.
This study aims to isolate such minimal consortia using a top-down approach. We will explore microbial diversity and interactions in rumen communities under different dietary conditions, focusing on fiber degradation and fermentation efficiency. This work aligns with the GRA flagship project RumenGateway, which seeks to unlock the potential of rumen microbes to enhance livestock performance and sustainability.
Microbial communities will be collected from animals fed diets with varying forage-to-concentrate ratios, serially diluted in cellulose-based media, and the most diluted cultures still capable of degrading cellulose will be selected. We hypothesize that native rumen microbiota harbors several consortia capable of cellulose degradation, differing in efficiency and fermentation profiles, including methane production. Using optical density as a proxy for microbial growth, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and methane production as proxies for fermentation efficiency, we will identify the most effective consortia. Selected consortia will then be maintained and characterized using multi-omic approaches to map their microbial interactomes.
This research will pinpoint key microbial consortia driving efficient fiber degradation and fermentation, providing new insights for sustainable livestock management and methane mitigation strategies.
