Scottish scientists are investigating how tiny organisms found in the stomachs of cows could be used to create valuable industrial products including biofuels and pharmaceutical building blocks from waste plant materials.
A three-way collaboration between life sciences company Ingenza, leading researcher Professor John Wallace, of the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen, and the ARK-Genomics facility in Edinburgh’s world-famous Roslin Institute, is examining how enzymes from the microbes that live in the stomachs of cattle and other ruminants – animals which chew the cud – could be used industrially to break down the tough internal structures of plant and tree matter.
The resulting chemical reactions could be used to create sustainable alternatives to petrochemical-derived products such as fuel, commodity chemicals and fine chemicals.
Humans are unable to digest this tough and complex plant material, which could only provide roughage in the diet. However, Ingenza and Prof Wallace expect to identify enzymes found in ruminants which allow them to digest these complex structures.
The discovery and application of these enzymes could help scientists to release untapped energy in waste plant and tree products and use it to manufacture renewable alternatives to products such as petrol and diesel fuels.
Prof Wallace will make a presentation on the subject at a technology showcase being held in Edinburgh next month by Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), which will bring together the best of Scottish research and technology and leading-edge collaboration projects.
If the project is successful, Ingenza would use its own production systems, such as yeast, to mass produce the enzymes for industrial use.
Dr Ian Fotheringham, President of Ingenza, said: "People have been trying to unlock the energy in plant and tree matter for years, but our approach recognises how nature has already successfully done it.
"If we can identify novel enzymes that allow ruminants to break down these tough structures, and then replicate them on a large scale, the possibilities for more sustainable and renewable industrial practices are enormous.
"Society is starting to look towards how greener practices can contribute to economic growth and more sustainable living in a meaningful way – this project could be a real step towards that."
Other technology on display at the event includes the latest development in SAC’s pioneering work to measure methane measurement in livestock, which is thought to represent much of the 12 per cent of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions coming directly from agriculture. The new SAC ’GreenCow’ facility and associated respirometer technology will also be on display at the show at SAC’s research centre near Edinburgh on August 4. The facility, the largest of its kind in the UK, measures the methane emissions of individual housed cattle to enable researchers to find ways of making livestock systems and feeding more environmentally sustainable.
At the other end of the spectrum, a hand-held laser methane detection gun, which could be used on-farm by individual farmers, will also be on display.
The event is being jointly organised by SAC, and the Rumens and Ruminants Interest Group, part of the Scottish Government and Technology Strategy Board-funded Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), based at the Roslin Institute.
Dr David Telford, knowledge transfer manager at the Biosciences KTN, said: "There’s an enormous amount of outstanding research and technology coming out of Scotland at the moment, and events like this are absolutely crucial in making sure people know what’s being done and are able to benefit from it.
"The sharing of ideas and new discoveries across research facilities and commercial organisations is providing an additional boost to innovation in Scotland. Agriculture is an important part of the Scottish economy, and the knock-on effects of what is being done here will have positive benefits for other industry sectors too."
