increase font size
Lucidome Bio chief executive David Aitken.
Lucidome Bio, a New Zealand agricultural biotech company was recently selected as one of fourteen global finalists to pitch at the Animal Health, Nutrition and Technology Innovation USA event in Boston.
The company was established by AgriZeroNZ, with the New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Research Centre and the New Zealand government.
Lucidome Bio has invented a vaccine aimed to trigger an animal’s immune system to produce antibodies in saliva that suppress the activity of methane-producing microbes in the rumen.
These microbes are responsible for the majority of methane emitted through livestock burps, a significant contributor to climate change.
Lucidome Bio chairman Bridgit Hawkins says that a vaccine that reduces methane would be transformative for farmers across the globe.
“What we’re developing has the potential to fundamentally shift how livestock emissions are managed – offering farmers a practical, cost-effective tool that doesn’t compromise productivity,” Hawkins says.
“It’s a solution that works with nature, not against it,” she says. “Being recognised on a global stage affirms not just the calibre of New Zealand science but the urgency and relevance of what we’re building.”
“It isn’t innovation for innovation’s sake – it’s a critical lever for climate action in agriculture and we’re proud to be leading from the front.”
Meanwhile, Lucidome Bio chief executive David Aitken says that as a nation globally renowned for agricultural excellence and innovation, it is fitting that New Zealand would be stepping onto the world stage with a breakthrough that could help shape the future of farming.
“Lucidome Bio’s selection as a global finalist is more than a recognition of scientific achievement; it’s a signal that New Zealand is leading the charge in practical climate solutions for agriculture,” Aitken says.
“Lucidome Bio is proud to represent the strength of Kiwi science, the power of partnership, and the potential of a vaccine that could transform farming systems around the globe,” he concludes.
OPINION: Among the many satisfying jobs on the farm is shifting our Angus heifers onto fresh pasture. They love it. Tails up, they gallop around for a minute, then it’s heads down — those long, raspy tongues pulling in mouthfuls of lush green feed.
The Government's revised 2050 biogenic methane target range of 14-24% by 2050 is being welcomed by dairy farmers.
Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.
OPINION: We are endlessly told that livestock are responsible for half of New Zealand's total emissions.
OPINION: Ruminant methane mitigation tools were a bit of a joke when first proposed; surely no one would be foolish enough to interfere with nature at its best. Any such propaganda from our sector on mitigation went straight into file 13.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
Interest in agritech and production animal systems has prompted Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment to new majors to its popular animal science degree.
Ballance Agrinutrients chief executive Kelvin Wickham says despite a tough year, he is pleased the business has returned to profit.
OPINION: After hogging the media limelight for telling a NZ Chinese MP to "go back home", Winston Peters has decided…
OPINION: With fuel prices soaring, one would have expected most farmers to be reclaiming excise duty on petrol.
