Abstract
Methane emissions from agriculture, particularly from ruminant livestock, pose a significant environmental challenge in New Zealand. Continuous rumen culture devices have been developed to test feed additives, diet composition, and understand microbial community dynamics within the rumen. However, a major limitation of current systems is their inability to sustain protozoal populations at levels comparable to those in live animals.
Rumenaut, a New Zealand-based biotechnology start-up company, has designed a novel in vitro continuous rumen culture system. To evaluate protozoal survival and community composition over time, an analysis pipeline was developed combining microscopic staining and counting with 18S rRNA gene analysis for taxonomic identification.
Although it did not appear that protozoa were being maintained sufficiently in the continuous culture device, this study provided proof of concept for the determination of protozoal persistence and community composition in a novel in vitro continuous rumen culture device over time. These findings offer a foundation for future development by Rumenaut as they continue to develop their continuous rumen culture device to better mimic the rumen microenvironment and support diverse protozoal communities.