Ruminants play an essential role in global human societies due to their unique ability to convert low value animal feedstuffs into high quality protein food (meat and milk products) for human consumption using their rumen microbiome. The rumen microbiota is the ruminant's second genome which facilitates the transformation of feedstuffs into valuable animal products. The rumen microbiota profoundly influences dietary nutrient metabolism, animal production, the quality of animal products, and the environment. Understanding the complex interactions between microbial groups and between the rumen microbiota and the host is essential to optimizing rumen function to meet growing demands for animal products while minimizing the environmental impact of ruminant production. We regard understanding rumen microbial interactions and fermentation control as the key to developing interventions toward sustainable intensification of ruminant production.
We welcome perspectives, reviews, hypotheses and theories, methods, and original research articles presenting novel results, ideas, and discussion on the links between the rumen microbiota, the ruminant host genetics, physiology, ruminant production outcome and environmental consequences. In addition, authors may present their point of view about the future research avenues that they foresee or recommend to continue improving ruminant productivity and simultaneously tackle the environmental issues associated with ruminant production.
Authors are invited to submit manuscripts about one or more, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Rumen microbiome-host interaction
• Linkage of rumen microbiota and ruminant production and its environmental consequences: can we get past association studies?
• Roles and manipulation of rumen microbiota in C and N emissions
• New methodologies to study the composition and functions of the rumen microbiome
• Feed vs. food: are there any new approaches to improve the productivity of ruminants being fed mid to low-quality diets?
Ruminants play an essential role in global human societies due to their unique ability to convert low value animal feedstuffs into high quality protein food (meat and milk products) for human consumption using their rumen microbiome. The rumen microbiota is the ruminant's second genome which facilitates the transformation of feedstuffs into valuable animal products. The rumen microbiota profoundly influences dietary nutrient metabolism, animal production, the quality of animal products, and the environment. Understanding the complex interactions between microbial groups and between the rumen microbiota and the host is essential to optimizing rumen function to meet growing demands for animal products while minimizing the environmental impact of ruminant production. We regard understanding rumen microbial interactions and fermentation control as the key to developing interventions toward sustainable intensification of ruminant production.
We welcome perspectives, reviews, hypotheses and theories, methods, and original research articles presenting novel results, ideas, and discussion on the links between the rumen microbiota, the ruminant host genetics, physiology, ruminant production outcome and environmental consequences. In addition, authors may present their point of view about the future research avenues that they foresee or recommend to continue improving ruminant productivity and simultaneously tackle the environmental issues associated with ruminant production.
Authors are invited to submit manuscripts about one or more, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Rumen microbiome-host interaction
• Linkage of rumen microbiota and ruminant production and its environmental consequences: can we get past association studies?
• Roles and manipulation of rumen microbiota in C and N emissions
• New methodologies to study the composition and functions of the rumen microbiome
• Feed vs. food: are there any new approaches to improve the productivity of ruminants being fed mid to low-quality diets?