Marina Fortes

Uncovering the link between pregnancy and methane emissions in grazing cattle via artificial intelligence

A PhD opportunity is available at The University of Queensland for a motivated domestic student (Australian or New Zealand) to contribute to research at the interface of computational science, precision agriculture, and livestock sustainability.

This project aims to improve the understanding of how pregnancy influences enteric methane emissions, grazing behaviour, and metabolic processes in cattle. The outcomes will contribute to the development of more accurate methane accounting methodologies for breeding herds, with direct relevance to Australia’s livestock industry and climate targets.

Project overview

The candidate will work with a rich, high-resolution dataset collected under grazing conditions. A cohort of 40 Brahman heifers (pregnant and non-pregnant) was directly measured for methane emissions using field-based methodologies (SF6 tracer gas). The data also includes: estimates of dry matter intake under pasture conditions; behavioural data from GPS collars and accelerometers; blood metabolites; and rumen microbiome data.

These data represent a commercially relevant Bos indicus production system, providing a unique opportunity to generate insights with real-world applicability. In addition, this project is a partnership between UQ (SCMB and QAAFI) and CSIRO.

Please contact via the EOI in the link: https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/uncovering-link-between-pregnancy-and-methane-emissions-grazing-cattle-artificial-intelligence

Literature Review Project: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Beef Farming

This project is suitable for Honours or Master students looking to do a literature review and/or write a research proposal about greenhouse gas emissions from beef farming. A variety of beef farming systems co-exist in Australia. The beef industry is interested in understanding which systems are more environmentally sustainable, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

The interface between genomes and diet in ruminants

Global population growth is placing increasing demands on the agriculture sector to produce greater amounts of food more efficiently. Livestock products provide a nutritious source of protein for the world population and more efficient production will be required in the future to meet increasing demand. Breeds and individual cattle and sheep can show substantial differences in response to diet with some animals responding more productively than others. The proposed research program will investigate which parts of the genome likely underpin response to diet in cattle and sheep. Biochemical pathways relevant to the new science of nutrigenomics will be uncovered primarily through investigation of genome-wide gene expression data sets available for metabolically important tissues such as muscle, fat, and liver. Cutting edge bioinformatics tools including the latest approaches from network science will be deployed. This knowledge may help us understand why some animals fare better than others under given nutritional circumstances and perhaps inform decisions regarding diet formulation.

This project is a collaboration with Dr. Nick Hudson https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/14636