The Cow Fart Vaccine

According to Hammond, scientists have been pursuing the concept of a “cow fart vaccine” for more than ten years, but there are no concrete outcomes so far. “A lot of investment has been made in various countries to develop this atypical vaccine, which is aimed not at benefiting the animal but at reducing emissions that the animal may produce,” he says.

“Although there’s no product, scientific literature suggests that it can and will work.

“For the vaccine to be effective, it would need to generate antibodies that attach themselves to the methane-producing bacteria in the rumen and prevent them from doing so.”

He adds, however, that developing it is a highly complicated task, as antibodies—proteins generated by the immune system after vaccination to combat foreign substances—are not known to function effectively in the rumen.

Another possible issue is the animals’ welfare. While it’s anticipated there will be a “zero effect” on their health, Hammond states this has not yet been demonstrated. It is possible that the rumen’s feed absorption capacity could decrease, implying that cattle may need to consume more food, thereby raising farmers’ expenses.

This study aims to address these questions and generate a “proof of concept” for the development of a real drug. Dirk Werling, a professor of Molecular Immunology at the Royal Veterinary College and a contributor to the project, notes that the primary benefit of a vaccine would be its applicability for postnatal calf vaccination, akin to existing disease-preventive vaccines: “If we can determine an appropriate vaccine strategy, it could also allow for the possibility of vaccinating the mother cow,” he adds.

„Dadurch würden Antikörper produziert, die über das Kolostrum (die nach der Geburt erzeugte erste Milch) weitergegeben werden. There are several potential methods for utilizing the cow’s innate defenses, but it is yet to be determined if any of these will be viable.

Joseph McFadden, an associate professor of Dairy Cattle Biology at Cornell University who is not involved with the project, states that a vaccine against methane emissions would be “sort of the holy grail,” as it could reduce a cow’s methane emissions long-term with just one dose, making it easier to implement than other solutions.