0.0%
of global GHG emissions
Livestock is a leading source of agricultural emissions and the dominant source of agricultural methane, driven by enteric fermentation.
A feed additive that cuts methane in the cattle rumen
TacklEmission is developing biodegradable nanoparticles that carry an enzyme against the methane-producing archaea in a cow's rumen, while leaving the rest of the microbiome it needs to digest food intact.
Built by a University of Queensland student team through the Australasian Synthetic Biology Challenge. The work is at an early research stage: enzyme expression and in vitro validation, not yet animal trials.
Supported by
[ PROBLEM ]
Livestock methane is a climate emergency
Agriculture contributes about 14.5% of all global greenhouse-gas emissions. Methane from cattle is one of the largest near-term reduction targets, and one of the most tractable.
0×
more potent than CO₂
Biogenic methane has 27× the global warming potential of CO₂ over a 100-year horizon (IPCC AR6), making it a priority for rapid reduction.
0.0B
cattle worldwide
Each animal produces roughly 100–150 kg of methane per year via methanogenesis in the rumen (beef to dairy).
~0M
tonnes CH₄/year
Enteric fermentation alone emits approximately 100 million tonnes of methane annually, representing a massive mitigation target.
EXISTING APPROACHES
Current solutions fall short
Each existing mitigation approach carries limitations that prevent it from reaching the scale and reliability needed for global impact.
Seaweed (Asparagopsis)
FutureFeed
Reported efficacy
37–95%
- Supply chain bottlenecks
- Palatability & taste effects
- Climate-sensitive cultivation
- Regulatory uncertainty
Bovaer (3-NOP)
DSM-Firmenich
Reported efficacy
~30%
- Requires daily dosing
- High cost at scale
- Chemical regulatory pathway
- Non-specific inhibition
Methane Capture
Various
Reported efficacy
~50%
- Wearable devices on cattle
- Animal welfare concerns
- High capital costs
- Not practically scalable
PHA Nano-PeiR
TacklEmission
Projected efficacy
30%+*
- Novel approach, in validation
OUR APPROACH ↑
[ SOLUTION ]
How TacklEmission works
A five-step biological pathway from engineered nanoparticles to sustained methane reduction, without disrupting rumen ecology or animal productivity.
01
Step 1 of 5
PHA Nanoparticle Synthesis
Biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) nanoparticles are manufactured using engineered microbial fermentation. PHAs are naturally occurring biopolymers that are biocompatible and metabolisable.
Technical parameters
50–500 nm diameter · Rumen-stable · Food-contact grade
PROGRESS1/5
[ TECHNOLOGY ]
A modular biotech platform
Four components that make the system specific to rumen methanogens and, if it works, manufacturable at scale. The same surface-display approach could later extend beyond enteric fermentation.
PHA Nanoparticle Chassis
Biodegradable biopolymer nanoparticles engineered for rumen stability. Produced via scalable microbial fermentation. Biocompatible and metabolised post-action.
50–500 nm diameterpH 5.5–7.5 stableFully biodegradableFDA food-contact grade
PeiR Enzyme Payload
Pseudomurein endoisopeptidase R, a naturally occurring enzyme with intrinsic selectivity for the pseudomurein cell wall of the Methanobacteriales, primarily Methanobrevibacter, which constitute ~74% of rumen archaea. Literature-validated mechanism.
Targets Methanobrevibacter spp.No bacterial off-targetArchaea-specific lysis
Synthetic Biology Platform
Genetic engineering tools to optimise the PHA production pathway, enzyme expression levels, and surface-display efficiency across iterative design cycles.
Modular genetic designCodon-optimised expressionDirected evolution readyIterative DBTL cycles
Scalable Manufacturing
Microbial fermentation production enables cost-effective, large-scale manufacturing compatible with existing pharmaceutical and bioprocessing infrastructure globally.
Fermentation-based productionGMP-compatible pathwayCompetitive COGS potentialExisting infrastructure
DIFFERENTIATION
Where the approach differs
Specificity
Targets only methane-producing archaea, with no intended impact on beneficial rumen bacteria or animal health.
Biodegradability
PHA is a biodegradable biopolymer, aiming to avoid chemical residues in meat, milk, or the environment.
Scalability
Microbial fermentation is an established industrial process, so production can scale with established methods.
Low Dosing Burden
Aiming for less frequent dosing than daily chemical additives, which would reduce the burden on farmers.
Modularity
The surface-display approach could be retargeted to other microbial targets in livestock health.
[ MARKET ]
A market on track for ~$4–5B by the early 2030s
The livestock methane-mitigation market is expanding rapidly, driven by net-zero commitments, carbon pricing, and regulatory pressure on agriculture.
$0.0B
Current market size
2024 global market
$0.0B
Projected by 2034
10-year outlook
0.0%
CAGR
2024–2034
Revenue-stream breakdown
INDICATIVE MIX* Revenue projections are indicative. TacklEmission intends to pursue multiple parallel revenue streams including feed additives, carbon-credit generation, and technology licensing.
LANDSCAPE
Competitive landscape
Most current options are either chemical inhibitors or supply-chain-constrained extracts. A targeted, biodegradable nanoparticle sits apart from both.
CompanyTechnologyStageFundingKey limitation
FutureFeedAsparagopsis seaweed extractCommercial~US$9M (A$13M)Supply chain & regulatory risk
Rumin8Synthetic bromoform deliveryCommercial$17M, 2023Regulatory concerns, daily dosing
Bovaer (DSM)3-NOP chemical inhibitorCommercialDSM-backedDaily dosing, chemical safety pathway
MootralGarlic & citrus extractCommercial$30M+Inconsistent efficacy, palatability
TacklEmissionUSTargeted PHA-PeiR nanoparticlesPre-Seed R&DSeeking seedEarly-stage, unproven in vivo
FutureFeed founding round A$13M (~US$9.3M); ~US$29M raised to date. Funding figures reflect reported rounds and may lag latest raises.
[ RESEARCH ]
Literature-backed. Scientifically rigorous.
Our approach is grounded in published research on PeiR enzyme activity, PHA nanoparticle engineering, and rumen methanogenesis biology.
Altermann et al., 2018
PeiR-displaying nanoparticles reduced methane by up to 97% in pure culture over five days, selectively lysing methanogenic archaea via pseudomurein cleavage.
Altermann et al., 2022
Scaled into a continuous-flow rumen model, the nanoparticles achieved a 5–15% methane reduction over 11 days. That gap between pure culture and a working rumen is what our project targets.
Henderson et al., 2015
Across 32 ruminant species, ~74% of rumen archaea are Methanobrevibacter. That is a small, conserved set of methanogens for a selective treatment to target.
ROADMAP
Development timeline
- 25
- Systematic literature review of PeiR enzyme activity & pseudomurein structure
- PHA nanoparticle synthesis and characterisation protocols
- Proof-of-concept PeiR expression in E. coli
- Team formation and UQ research partnership
- 26
- PeiR surface-display system optimisation
- In vitro archaea activity assays (lysis confirmation)
- Nanoparticle stability in simulated rumen fluid (SRF)
- In vitro rumen fermentation gas-production assays
- Methane reduction quantification (GreenFeed / SF₆ tracer)
- Provisional patent application filing
- →
- Ethics-approved animal feeding trials
- Milk / meat safety and quality analysis
- →
- Industry partner pilot programs in Australian feedlots
- Regulatory submissions (APVMA / international equivalents)
- Scale-up fermentation studies and COGS modelling
- Series A fundraising and global licensing strategy
REFERENCES
- Gerber et al., Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock: livestock ≈ 14.5% of global GHG, with enteric fermentation the dominant driver. fao.org
- Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model: enteric fermentation ≈ 98 Mt CH₄/yr; ~1.5 billion cattle worldwide. fao.org/gleam
- Sixth Assessment Report (WG1): biogenic methane has a 100-year global warming potential of ≈ 27× CO₂. ipcc.ch
- PeiR lytic enzyme on PHA bionanoparticles reduced methane up to 97% in pure culture. Front. Microbiol. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.02378
- Tailored PHA–PeiR nanoparticles across rumen models (5–15% in continuous flow). Front. Microbiol. 13:816695. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.816695
- Global Rumen Census: ~74% of rumen archaea are Methanobrevibacter across 32 ruminant species. Sci. Rep. 5:14567. doi:10.1038/srep14567
- Asparagopsis seaweed additive reduced enteric methane ~37.7% in grazing beef cattle (feedlot trials reach >90%). pnas.org
- Bovaer (3-NOP) reduces dairy enteric methane ~30% as a daily feed additive. bovaer.com
- Ruminant Methane Reduction Market: USD 2.7B (2024) to 5.2B (2034) at 6.7% CAGR; feed additives >90% of share. gminsights.com
- Reported funding for FutureFeed (~$13M) and Rumin8 (~$17M, 2023). agfundernews.com
[ TEAM ]
Meet the team
Students across chemical engineering, molecular biology, synthetic biology, and computer science, working together at the University of Queensland.
Academic Supervision
Meet the supervisor
Dr. Axayacatl (Axa) Gonzalez
Supervisor
University of Queensland
[ IMPACT ]
What success would mean
These are the figures the project is aiming at, not results we have yet. If the additive works at scale, the reduction in agricultural methane would be large.
0%+
Methane Reduction Target
Per animal, per dosing cycle
0.0B
Addressable Cattle Population
Global livestock market opportunity
0×
Methane Climate Potency
Versus CO₂ over 100 years (IPCC AR6)
A pathway to carbon credits for farmers
Beyond direct methane reduction, a verified additive could let farmers take part in emerging voluntary carbon markets. Each tonne of CO₂-equivalent avoided can be monetised as carbon credits, which would add a revenue stream alongside the climate benefit.
- Measurable, verifiable methane reduction (GreenFeed / SF₆ tracer)
- Compatible with leading methodologies (ACCUs, Gold Standard)
- Farmer-friendly: no infrastructure changes required
- Stacks with other sustainability credentials for ESG reporting
[ CONTACT ]
Talk to the team
Whether you're an investor, research partner, industry collaborator, or just curious, we'd like to hear from you.