The Potential of Novel Gene Editing-Based Approaches in Forages and Rumen Archaea for Reducing Livestock Methane Emissions

Abstract

Rising emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) are a key driver of climate change, which is predicted to have myriad detrimental consequences in coming years if not kept in check. Given the potency of CH4 in terms of trapping heat in the atmosphere in the short term, as well as the fact that ruminant production currently contributes approximately 30% of anthropogenic emissions, there is an impetus to substantially decrease the generation of ruminant-derived CH4. While various strategies are being assessed in this context, a multi-faceted approach is likely required to achieve significant reductions. Feed supplementation is one strategy that has shown promise in this field by attenuating methanogenesis in rumen archaea; however, this can be costly and sometimes impractical. In this review, we examine and discuss the prospect of directly modulating forages and/or rumen archaea themselves in a manner that would reduce methanogenesis using CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing platforms. Such an approach could provide a valuable alternative to supplementation and has the potential to contribute to the sustainability of agriculture, as well as the mitigation of climate change, in the future.