Think your food is basically poison now? Wait until Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos start giving cows “vaccines” to stop them from farting… This is all part of the communist plan, and why Gates has been buying up farmland all across the country.
A pioneering collaboration between the Pirbright Institute and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) aims to significantly reduce methane emissions from cattle by exploring interventions including the viability of a new vaccine. Supported by a $9.4 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund, this ambitious project seeks to use state-of the-art biotechnology to figure out the mechanism by which a vaccine could cut livestock methane emissions by more than 30%, addressing a major contributor to climate change.
Livestock are a primary source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with a significant impact on climate change. The Bezos Earth Fund, together with the Global Methane Hub, have a portfolio of grants looking to reduce these emissions through low-methane genetics, improved feed, and better ranch management practices. All of these approaches can play a role in specific geographies and ranch-types. However, a vaccine offers a universal solution which is both scalable and cost effective, integrating seamlessly into existing farm management systems.
“This groundbreaking research explores whether a moonshot to cut livestock methane emissions is achievable,” says Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund. “Vaccines have proven to be incredibly effective in global health, and if we can apply this approach to cattle, the potential for reducing emissions is immense. The Bezos Earth Fund is committed to high-risk, high-reward projects like this, which have the power to transform our efforts against climate change.”
The project comprises two key components, each tackling different aspects of the challenge:
Early Development of Immune Response: Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College, in collaboration with Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), will study how and when methane-producing microbes (methanogens) colonize the digestive tract of calves and how the immune system responds. Advanced techniques such as multi-omics, histology, and immunology will be used to gain insights into these early interactions. They will also develop methanogens with fluorescent markers to track microbial interactions.
Antibody Response and Vaccine Development: Scientists from the Pirbright Institute and AgResearch will identify and characterize specific antibodies needed to target methanogens effectively. This involves isolating antibodies from immunized cattle and testing their effectiveness in lab conditions. By driving cross-reactive antibody responses and generating panels of antibodies, researchers aim to establish a proof of concept for a methane vaccine.
The project aims to overcome significant scientific hurdles, providing a foundation for a global methane vaccine initiative. If successful, this could revolutionize the way methane emissions are managed in agriculture, offering a viable solution to one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases.