The USDA Awards Native Microbials™ a $1.4 Million Grant for Climate-Smart Agriculture

Grant will fund research into the reduction of enteric methane emissions when feeding dairy cows Galaxis Frontier

SAN DIEGO, April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Native Microbials, a biotechnology company at the forefront of animal health and nutrition, was recently awarded a $1.4 million grant from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The announcement was made by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as part of the USDA's effort to find partners that develop innovative approaches to climate-smart agriculture.

The grant will support Native Microbials' project, "Fighting Methane with MIGHT (Microbiome Insights into Greenhouse gases using High-throughput Technologies)". Enteric methane emissions (EME) from dairy cattle are a major contributor to the total methane released into the atmosphere, but existing methods to mitigate EME don't provide cost-justification or are unproven long-term solutions. The objective of this project is to evaluate the improvement in feed efficiency and the reduction in EME on commercial dairy farms as a result of implementing Native Microbials' next-generation microbial feed supplement, Galaxis Frontier. This grant also funds the development of a novel, non-invasive, accurate, and scalable oral microbiome-based method to measure EME from dairy cows on-farm. Additionally, a survey of 250 dairymen will assess the perceptions, barriers, and risks for adoption of climate-smart agriculture solutions, which will inform research and policy priorities aimed at improving dairy sustainability.

"We are very excited that the USDA sees the potential for our novel product, made with rumen-native microbes, to help mitigate the impact of climate change," said Mallory Embree, Chief Science Officer at Native Microbials. "This funding will help us evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impact of Galaxis Frontier, and also provide a novel enteric methane emissions quantification method for dairy cattle at a commercial scale."

Added Embree, "We hope that this is the first of many partnerships with the USDA as we continue to develop innovative solutions to support sustainable agriculture."

The project will be conducted with the following collaborators: Dr. Ermias Kebreab, PhD, University of California, Davis; Dr. Jared Talley, PhD, Boise State University; Dr. Alfonso Lago, DVM, PhD, DairyExperts, Tulare, California. In addition, Native Microbials will partner with US Dairy Education & Training Consortium (USDETC), Northwest Dairy Association – Darigold (NWDA), and Dr. Robert Hagevoort, PhD (New Mexico State University) to identify dairy farms to participate in the on-farm trial. NWDA will also assist in distributing the quantitative survey to dairy producers.

About Native Microbials
Native Microbials harnesses the power of the microbiome to improve animal health, productivity, and sustainability. The company uses advanced microbiology and data science methods to develop next-generation microbial supplements for a variety of animal species. With headquarters in San Diego, Native Microbials maintains multiple field and production operations worldwide. Visit NativeMicrobials.com to learn more.

SOURCE Native Microbials