Boost for methane vaccine research

AgriZeroNZ and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) are forking out $8.5m and $5m respectively to new company Lucidome Bio, which is spearheading the next phase in the pioneering research.

AgriZeroNZ chief executive Wayne McNee says it is pleased to boost its support for the research, following prior funding to set up the entity to attract international investors and accelerate development.

"A vaccine that reduces methane from ruminant animals would be a transformational tool for New Zealand's agricultural sector and for farmers worldwide.

"It's widely recognised as the holy grail to reduce emisions, as it's a low cost, high-impact solution which has the potential to be adopted into all farming systems.

"We're really pleased to be backing Lucidome Bio, alongside the NZAGRC, in a shared effort to get a vaccine to farmers sooner," says McNee.

A successful vaccine would trigger an animal's immune system to generate antibodies in saliva that suppress the growth and function of methane-producing microbes (methanogens) in the rumen, significantly reducing the quantity of the potent greenhous gas it burps out.

NZAGRC executive director Naomi Parker says the reliance on antibody production in saliva and the complex nature of the rumen makes this work incredibly challenging, however the progress to date gives confidence it can achieve success.

"We're proud to be long-standing supporters of this work and help Lucidome Bio achieve a world-first by turning the vaccine's research legacy into a safe and effective tool for farmers.

"This is no easy task, but the research team has made significant progress over the years and achieved many groundbreaking advancements which provide critical foundations to support future success."

Lucidome Bio interim chief executive David Aitken welcomed the funding and emphasised the new venture's commitment to technological innovation in tackling this global opportunity.

"We know farmers are looking for effective and affordable ways to reduce methane. Our vision is to help farmers feed the world while protecting our planet. We're focused on making the technology breakthroughs needed to commercialise a safe, effective vaccine that reduces methane emissions at scale and addresses one of the world's biggest climate change challenges.

"This funding will allow us to build the team, carry out field trials in animals and progress development of the vaccine for farmers," says Aitken.