Archaeaphage Therapy to control Rumen Methanogens

Summary

​Phage therapy is becoming increasingly important as a means of eradicating or controlling microbial populations and has been raised as a potential strategy to reduce methane emissions from ruminants. To the date of this report, very little is currently known about phages which may infect the methane-producing archaeal strains (methanogens) dominant within the rumen of Australian cattle, such as the Methanobrevibacter ruminantium. 
This project aimed to assemble a collection of phages to be employed in phage therapy. A range of animal-derived and environmental source samples were tested using culture-based methodology, however no lytic phages of methanogens were isolated. Given the dearth of knowledge regarding phages of rumen methanogens, this project established that these naturally-occurring phages may be present in very low concentrations within the rumen and this will need to be considered in future methanogen-phage isolation investigations. The project began the process of developing and adapting new methodologies for detecting and examining these phages.​