Environment

Baby kangaroo poop may hold the key to reducing cows' methane emissions

Bacteria found in baby kangaroo feces produce acetic acid – not methane – as they aid in the digestive process
Depositphotos
Bacteria found in baby kangaroo feces produce acetic acid – not methane – as they aid in the digestive process
Depositphotos

Make all the jokes you want, but the methane emitted in the form of cow burps and farts is actually a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. That could soon change, however, thanks to bacteria found in baby kangaroo feces.

In the recent past, cattle feed additives such as seaweed, tropical leaves and fish oil have been proposed for keeping the bacteria in cows' stomachs from producing methane as they digest food. All of these additives have been used with varying degrees of success.

Chemical bacteria inhibitors and vaccines have also been explored. Unfortunately the methane-producing bacteria develop a resistance to the chemicals, while a wide variety of vaccines would be required for all the different types of cow-gut bacteria that are found throughout the world.

Additionally, some supplements, inhibitors and vaccines may negatively affect other biological functions in cows, resulting in problems such as reduced milk production.

Seeking a more effective alternative, a Washington State University team recently looked to a type of bacteria found in the foregut of kangaroos. Previous studies had already shown that instead of producing methane, the kangaroo microbes produce acetic acid. Further research revealed that the bacteria only occurs in baby kangaroos, not adults.

Although the scientists were unable to isolate the exact bacteria responsible, they proceeded to grow a mixed bacterial culture using samples of baby kangaroo feces. That culture was subsequently introduced to a simulated cow rumen (part of the stomach), shortly after a chemical had been used to temporarily reduce the number of methane-producing bacteria already present in the model.

It was found that for several months, the acetic-acid-producing bacteria from the culture outcompeted and thus replaced the methane-producing bacteria, growing to the numbers required for the digestive process. As a result, for that period, no methane was produced by the simulated rumen. This success was due largely to the fact that both types of bacteria grow at approximately the same rate.

Tests on actual living cows are now being planned.

"It is a very good culture. I have no doubt it is promising," said the lead scientist, Prof. Birgitte Ahring. "It could be really interesting to see if that culture could run for an extended period of time, so we would only have to inhibit the methane production from time to time. Then, it could actually be a practice."

A paper on the research has been published in the journal Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology.

Source: Washington State University

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5 comments
Joy Parr
Very valuable research, although growing edible plants on that pastureland, and culturing laboratory meat, is probably the better solution for the planet.
Spud Murphy
Agree with Joy, get rid of the cows, move to cultured meat and dairy (already stating to happen now) and the problem solves itself. The planet will be better off and so will we and the cows.
Bob809
So, the emissions, although different from animals, that are spewed out by all fossil fuelled transport matters not? For me, when that issue is solved and government have got their proverbial fingers out and made sure that charging for electric cars is as easy as filling up with fossil fuel, then I will get concerned about the animal air pollution. The ships that bring you all your 'needs and desires' from overseas are the biggest problem, along with all the fat cats flying about in their private jets telling 'the people' not to do what they are doing.
Yes, I am nasty meat eater, shudder at the thought of that. I, for some reason, cannot eat veggies without being ill. This is not by choice. As a kid there was nothing more I liked than grabbing a piece of celery and a bit of salt/peanut butter when I got home from school. Something happened.
reader
Great. Contrary to common vegan beliefs, ruminants are important for rebuilding soil organic matter (ie carbon). Regenerative agriculture mimics the movements of large bison herds which generally only eat 50% of the grass, trample the rest, and return long after when the grass is tall again. This stimulates root growth and armors the soil so rains can be fully absorbed instead of running off and causing erosion. Conventional methods of growing crops via adding fertilizers, irrigation and tillage is wrecking soils worldwide, fast. Mob grazing can fix soils and replenish ground water aquifers. Ag management needs an update to become regenerative.
Aross
Why was there no methane problem before man almost wiped out all the herbivores and replaced them with cattle. I suspect that putting cows back on grass instead of grains such as corn would greatly reduce the problem. That and producing products more locally instead of one large production facility so as to reduce the pollution produced by the transportation and distribution.