Centres of Research Excellence Fund

2006 Expressions of Interest

The International Centre for Rumen Biology

Director:  Prof. Hugh Morgan
Host:        The University of Waikato

Partners:   AgResearch Limited

Abstract:

The rumen, the forestomach of ruminants, is perhaps the single most economically important organ to New Zealand and indeed, to the many countries where pastoral agriculture plays a role. Ruminant-derived products account for one-third of all New Zealand’s exports. Yet, in scientific terms, the rumen is a black box. Nutritional inputs and their impacts on animal growth and milk production have been well studied, but the very processes by which plant material is converted to useful substrates in the rumen is poorly understood. The rumen harbours an enormously complex microbial community which has co-evolved with the animal to enable ingested forages (primarily plants) to be fermented and metabolised through to valuable products (milk, meat and wool). The complexity of the rumen – its microbial community and their interactions with the animal – has made it a daunting model for scientific enquiry. However, the scientific tools now exist to tackle this problem with rigour and completeness. This Centre will assemble the largest critical mass, both nationally and internationally, of recognised expertise in rumen biology to unravel the complexity of the rumen ecosystem using new culture-based methods, molecular genetics, genomic technologies and bioinformatics. Researchers from the University of Waikato with expertise in anaerobic microbiology, metagenomics, informatics, biochemistry and ruminant physiology will combine with rumen microbiologists at AgResearch and international collaborators in the U.S. and U.K. to form a truly International Centre for Rumen Biology with substantial and indisputable academic and research credibility.

Five fundamental research themes are proposed: Microbial Ecology; Metagenomics; Functional Genomics and Protein Biochemistry; Host-Microbe Interactions and Rumen Manipulation.

Through improved understanding of rumen function, this Centre will provide the means to control ruminant digestion and thus influence the quantity and quality of outputs such as milk and meat.  The rumen microbes themselves will also present new biotechnology opportunities and the Centre will address the important requirement for an expansion of education and capability building in this area.