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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Scientists in California are attempting to genetically engineer the cow microbiome to eliminate methane emissions
• Researchers at UC-Davis and the Innovative Genomics Institute are exploring gene editing techniques to transform the gut microbes of cows, which are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas
🔭 The context: Cows produce methane through a natural digestive process involving archaea in their stomachs, contributing significantly to global warming
• Efforts to reduce these emissions with dietary supplements like seaweed have been only partially successful, leading scientists to pursue more permanent solutions through genetic engineering
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Methane is a major driver of climate change, responsible for about 30% of global warming
• Reducing methane emissions from cows could have a substantial impact on mitigating climate change, especially given the rising global demand for beef and dairy products
⏭️ What's next: Researchers hope to create a probiotic pill that could be administered to calves to permanently alter their microbiome, reducing methane production throughout their lives
• Initial trials on cows are expected within the next two years, with the project funded for a seven-year research period
💬 One quote: "It’s completely out of the box," said Ermias Kebreab, a professor of animal science at UC-Davis. "Nobody has done it before"
📈 One stat: There are approximately 1.5 billion cows globally, each producing around 220 pounds of methane per year, equivalent to about half the emissions of an average car
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