Work Package (WP) 2 – Methods development and Standard Operating Protocols (SOP)
Aim
WP Leader: Paolo Bani
Email: paolo.bani[at]unicatt.it
Aim
WP Leader: Paolo Bani
Email: paolo.bani[at]unicatt.it
To establish the methods for animal study (methane, feed intake) and next-generation sequencing (metabarcoding) and to harmonize SOPs.
The workpackage will:
- Calibrate methods for indirect measurement of feed intake and digestibility by markers
- Optimize measurements of methane emission in different locations and farming systems.
- Select the more appropriate method to get representative rumen content samples
- Develop optimized DNA metabarcoding markers for characterization and quantification of rumen microflora
- Prepare SOP and methodology for large scale experiments on commercial farms.
Major Outcomes
- Protocol for the indirect measurement of feed intake with markers. In a large farm the direct measurement of DMI is not feasible
- An on-farm protocol to measure methane emissions from individual animals
- Report on comparisons between invasive and non invasive methods for the characterization and quantification of rumen microflora and protocol to be applied on commercial farms.
- Report on the comparison between alternative metagenomics methods and protocol to be applied to large scale analyses