4/9/26
NIFA awards five-year grant to animal science faculty
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Beef production depends heavily on how efficiently cattle convert feed into energy. By winning a federal award, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers are studying this process at the genetic, cellular and microbial levels.
The team, led by Phillip Myer, associate professor of animal science and UT AgResearch Faculty Fellow, includes department colleagues Jonathan Beever, professor, and Troy Rowan, assistant professor and Extension specialist. They secured a five-year $650,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which awarded $10 million to 19 projects to improve animal nutrition, growth and lactation.
The researchers are focusing on specific microbes in the rumen, the stomach of cattle, and how they interact with the animal’s tissue to influence how nutrients are absorbed and used. The study will identify cell types in the rumen wall, characterize the microbes and their functions, and determine the genetic factors that influence how this system works.
As a result of this study, the researchers will provide new knowledge that will be used to improve breeding strategies and develop microbial interventions to increase feed efficiency in beef cattle. Results will be shared through educational programming and with industry partners and stakeholder groups.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.
