Post: Scientists leverage artificial intelligence

Cattle wearing methane-measuring devices Maribel Alonso USDA ARS

A new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and Iowa State University reveals that generative artificial intelligence — AI — can help expedite the search for solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions caused by cows in animal agriculture, which accounts for about 33 percent of U.S. agriculture and three percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

"Developing solutions to address methane emissions from animal agriculture is a critical priority," said Simon Liu, USDA Agricultural Research Service administrator. "Our scientists continue to use innovative and data-driven strategies to help cattle producers achieve emission reduction goals that will safeguard the environment and promote a more sustainable future for agriculture."

One of those innovative solutions starts in the cow’s stomach, where microorganisms contribute to enteric fermentation and cause cows to belch methane as part of normal digestion processes. The team of scientists found a group of compound molecules capable of inhibiting methane production in the largest of the cow’s four stomach compartments, the rumen, which can be tested to help mitigate methane emissions.

One molecule in particular, bromoform, which is naturally found in seaweed, has been identified by the scientific community to demonstrate properties that can result in reducing cattle enteric methane production by 80 percent to 98 percent when fed to cattle. Unfortunately bromoform is known to be a carcinogen, limiting its potential use in cattle for food-safety reasons. Therefore, scientists continue to search for molecules with similar potential to inhibit enteric methane. However that type of research presents challenges of being especially time-consuming and expensive.

In response to those challenges, a team of scientists at the USDA ARS Livestock Nutrient Management Research Unit and Iowa State University’s department of chemical and biological engineering combined generative AI with large computational models to jumpstart the quest for bromoform-like molecules that can do the same job without toxicity.

Matthew Beck, a research animal scientist working with USDA ARS at the time the study was completed and is now with Texas A&M University’s department of animal science, said, "We are using advanced molecular simulations and AI to identify […]

Scientists leverage artificial intelligence