Our Genome Projects

Methanobrevibacter ruminantium M1^T (DSM1093) Genome project - Complete

Agriculture has a major impact on the well-being of this planet and is imperative for the sustainability of the world's population. In NZ, ruminants form an integral part of pastoral farming activities and ruminant-derived products account for a third of all commodity exports, representing around _NZ$11 billion to the NZ economy. It is vital that we ensure the long term environmental and economic sustainability of pastoral agriculture. One of the challenges facing the NZ agricultural sector includes our commitment to the Kyoto Protocol in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and agricultural emissions of methane account for 31.8% of NZ's total emissions. The methane emitted from ruminant livestock is formed by a specialised group of microorganisms called methanogens. The Methanobrevibacter ruminantium genome is being sequenced and analysed to learn about ruminal methanogenesis and to identify targets for methane mitigation technologies.

Methanobrevibacter sp. strain SM9 Genome project - In Progress

Methane-forming microbes in the rumen belong to 3 major methanogen groups, each of which displays considerable, multispecies diversity. Effective ruminant methane mitigation strategies need to target all rumen methanogens, otherwise the population of unaffected methanogens will expand to fill the vacated niche. Therefore it is important to understand the diversity of methanogens present in the rumen. As such we are expanding our methanogen genomics program to include other methanogen species present in the rumen, the first of which will be the sequencing and analysis of the Methanobrevibacter sp. SM9 genome to further our understanding of ruminal methanogenesis.

Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus B316^T Genome project (ATCC 51982) - Complete

The rumen, which consists of the first two compartments of the four stomachs in ruminants, supports one of the most complex animal-associated microbial systems known, with 10¹⁰-10¹¹ microbes per gram of content and an estimated 3000 bacterial species. In a mutualistic relationship, the microbes are responsible for digesting the plant matter consumed by the ruminant and in return supply the animal with the organic acids and protein needed for its growth and development. The quantity and quality of these nutrients has an enormous impact on the ruminant's productivity. To obtain a better understanding of this central relationship we are sequencing the ruminal bacterium Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus B316^T, a common inhabitant of forage-fed animals and one of the main species involved in protein and hemicellulose degradation.

Rumen Microbial Metagenomics - In progress

Rumen microbial communities are comprised of a remarkably diverse range of microbes, including fungi, protozoa, bacteria, archaea and viruses. Their collective primary function is to degrade forage material, producing substrates which can be used by their hosts. However, the vast majority of rumen microbes are currently impossible to culture, and thus, their metabolic capabilities and ecological interactions remain hidden via traditional culture-dependent methods. We are therefore applying metagenomic analyses (the study of genetic material recovered directly from the environment) to rumen microbial communities, with particular interest in gaining detailed insight into plant biomass conversion processes in the rumen. From these, we will investigate new approaches for improving the efficiency of ruminant digestion and animal productivity. Furthermore, our findings may also be applied to biofuel production.