Cielivestock Limited Public Funding

Coming Soon Bymetric is Launching Soon

AEH: An AI-driven Herd Screening platform harnessing gene expression in livestock to provide UK farmers with actionable insights for improving herd productivity.

Global human population forecasts of 10 billion by 2050 will raise food demand by 70% against a requirement for lower environmental impacts. England's livestock agriculture is tasked with increasing efficiency of production while reducing environmental impacts. Thus, GHG emissions must contract by 78% (2035), with a livestock industry seeking net- zero (2050) against a background of escalating energy/input costs. Ruminants only capture around 25% of nitrogen ingested from grasslands and create 45% of UK methane emissions through rumen digestion, manure and slurry. To reduce GHG/nutrient loading, more herbage protein must convert into meat and milk. **NUE-Leg** will directly address this challenge by developing technological solutions to reduce environmental impacts while enhancing the economics and sustainability of grassland farming. UK ruminant production relies predominately on nitrogen fertiliser-driven perennial ryegrass, sometimes with white clover. Increased energy and nitrogen costs highlight the value of forage legume N-fixation which, with enhanced production efficiency and consistency, could lower a ruminant's environmental impact. The industry is over reliant on applied N, largely ignoring the production benefits of proper soil nutrient balances and the specific micronutrient requirements for legume-rhizobium symbiosis. Transformation of the UK ruminant sector to systems that beneficially exploit forage legumes requires a paradigm shift in forage legume breeding and management to enhance key genetic traits tailored to exploit precision crop management strategies that together deliver higher more consistent sward productivity. A novel alliance between legume breeders, soil scientists, NGO/charity and industry across supply chains will provide farmers with the tools and resources to exploit these legume/nutrient benefits for productivity, farm economics and environmental improvement. Academic and industry partners will work with livestock farmers using participatory research to quantify the on-farm impact of innovative varieties of three forage legume species, supported by elite rhizobia strains and state-of-the-art prescription nutrient fertilisers for optimal N-fixation. The benefits for livestock production will be evaluated and mitigation potential for environmental protection analysed using life-cycle-assessment. On-farm trials conducted by supply chain partners/LEAF will test and develop technology in practice and widely demonstrate the achievable benefits to grassland farmers across the beef, sheep and dairy sectors. **NUE-Leg** will deliver blueprints for exploiting novel, elite legume varieties and identify traits for continued breeding improvement, determine farm-specific prescription nutrient need and provide digital KE systems to guide farmers. This integrated optimisation approach will greatly enhance grassland farming in mitigating enteric methane emissions, lowering nitrate losses, while boosting ruminant productivity and sustainable farm businesses.

**Langrish Farmers**, passionate about improving the quality and value of wool, will work with key industry players National Sheep Association, British Wool, Wool Testing Authority Europe (WTAE) and Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL), to benchmark wool quality at an individual sheep level in an English Romney sheep flock. An attention to wool quality in terms of fibre diameter will look to increase returns to commercial farmers. By validating an on-farm wool testing device and building guidelines on improving wool quality through benchmarking, selection and breeding, the **Fabulous Fibre** project aims to help Langrish Farmers demonstrate the ability to **progress towards net zero** by using wool as a natural renewable fibre that is an alternative to synthetics**, increasing business resilience, improving productivity** and potentially **diversifying** sheep farming back to its multifunctional nature. This would change current farmer attitude towards wool as a waste product. For the industry, the product aims to make the UK wool sector more **resilient** and reduce reliance on imports in the wool industry. Wool quality is measured by testing the wool fibre to a micron value. The lower the micron value the higher the quality and the greater the return value. There is currently no on-farm technology capable of testing individual fleeces with real-time results. This project will work with one large Romney flock, to validate a handheld, portable device allowing greater control of fleeces sent for testing (and validation) through WTAE. Romney sheep have been selected due to their average micron levels hovering around the premium threshold. Measurements taken from the flock will be used to identify high-quality wool animals at an individual level and enable selection and breeding programmes for subsequent years, with wool quality a key focus. In addition, the lambs born in 2024 from the wool quality assessed ewes will have their fleeces tested, giving an indication of the heritability of wool quality. It will also enable Langrish Farmers to select breeding replacements both on conformation, carcase traits and wool quality for subsequent breeding seasons, identifying and limiting any trade-offs between traits. The project will also improve the understanding and value of wool testing on farm and demonstrate easy steps to improve wool values across the sector. In addition, it will provide practical lessons and opportunities for any sheep farm to improve wool quality and value.

Improving the nutritional qualities and nationwide health benefits of milk via a novel, epigenomics-driven platform, EPIHERD, for UK dairy farmers

UK aquaculture SME Seaweed Generation's (SeaGen) focus is on creating technology and infrastructure that can unlock the potential of seaweed in the global battle against climate change. Our belief is that automation, robotics, data and a innovation can hold the key to a scalable and sustainable future for seaweed aquaculture and for the planet. UK horticultural SME, Microgrow Systems (Microgrow), are industry leaders in high quality LED lighting systems that have the potential to save energy while optimising plant growth and health. This project is a partnership between Seaweed Generation and Microgrow to establish feasibility for the UK's first commercial seeding system for Dulse, a highly desirable red seaweed that could become a viable plant based protein alternative both in the UK and globally in the next five years. Climate change presents a global crisis that impacts people, environments and economies worldwide, with more severe impacts for those who have the least resources to combat them. To halt warming, we will need to reduce emissions by 75% and massively increase biodiversity across the planet. For our food chain this means eliminating emissions wherever possible, and finding sustainable sources of protein for food and animal feed without water and land needs. We will need to rehabilitate our soils, bio-diversify much of our agricultural land, and continue to offer appropriate nutrition to the world's population. Seaweed offers us an opportunity to grow high protein, nutrient dense biomass in the UK, without the need to commit more land to crop production. This feasibility study will allow full assessment of seeding techniques and practices for Dulse - a particularly tasty (umami) and protein-rich red seaweed that has proved challenging to grow. SeaGen and Microgrow will develop an automated seeding system that can reliably produce Dulse spores for large scale cultivation practices. The industry currently relies largely upon wild harvesting which is unpredictable and potentially unsustainable. This project aims to create a system for reliable seeding stock, allowing the seaweed food industry to develop in the UK, ultimately becoming a viable and cost effective plant based protein source.

Climate change presents a global crisis that impacts people, environments and economies worldwide, with more severe impacts for those who have the least resources to combat them. It is unarguably an existential threat to humanity. To halt warming, we will need to reduce emissions by 75% and massively increase biodiversity across the planet. For our food chain, this means eliminating emissions wherever possible and finding sustainable sources of protein for human and animal feed without water and land needs. We will need to rehabilitate our soils, bio-diversify much of our agricultural land, and continue to offer appropriate nutrition to the world's population. Seaweed offers us an opportunity to grow nutrient-dense biomass in the UK without the need to commit more land to crop production. Seaweed farms also have the potential to be co-located alongside offshore wind farms, with benefits to both industries. The proposed project is focused on creating technology and infrastructure that can unlock the potential of seaweed in the global battle against climate change. This project aims to establish the UK's first commercial cultivation system for dulse, a highly desirable red seaweed that could become a viable low-emission home-grown protein alternative to replace soyabean meal in chicken feed in UK. Dulse is a particularly desirable protein rich red seaweed with many growth-promoting effects that has so far proved challenging to grow. This feasibility study will allow a full assessment of the cultivation inputs required (and corresponding emissions) for pure tank based vs. at-sea cultivation. The project will enable us to establish the most biologically and commercially viable route to successful cultivation of dulse. The biochemical analysis of the pure tank based vs. at-sea cultivated seaweed will allow us to select the most nutritious and protein-rich species of dulse. The efficacy and potential of dulse produced and selected will be tested in poultry feed trials (in vivo) to explore the seaweed soyabean meal replacement potential. As dulse has great potential to improve gut health, arising from its immune-modulating functions, as a consequence, its impact on the gut microbiome could contribute to the use of seaweed to reduce reliance on antibiotics. The impact of dulse on the gut microbiome will be further explored by studying its impact on gut microbial diversity, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the occurrence of zoonotic pathogens.

This is a 48-month feasibility research project which aims to develop tools which will contribute to the COP26 Global Methane Pledge of cutting global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030\. The project will seek to develop a naturally sourced nutritional additive to reduce methane emissions from ruminants, which currently account for 80% of the total methane emissions from agriculture in the UK. The project will also address the requirement to improve the efficiency of feed utilisation by ruminants, which will reduce the demand for imported high-protein feed materials, supporting sustainable milk and meat production. The rural economy will also benefit through diversification and employment opportunities for farming, an industry currently challenged by post-Brexit pressures. The project is based on greater use of locally available plant-based compounds called alkaloids, which can be extracted from daffodils. As daffodils are grown widely throughout the UK, production and extraction these compounds can be local, sustainable and resilient. Preliminary data estimates that by using a specific alkaloid from daffodils, direct methane emissions from ruminants can be significantly reduced whilst simultaneously improving the efficiency of feed protein utilisation by 50%. Improving feed protein utilisation will lead to increased productivity of the ruminant sector whilst reducing the production of nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas. This would subsequently reduce the requirement for high-protein imported feeds such as soyabean meal, improving the sustainability of British farming. This project presents several benefits to both UK agriculture and wider society. \*Reduce the carbon footprint of the ruminant livestock sector by developing and validating a novel technology geared to boost feed protein efficiency whilst reducing methane emissions (currently more than 90% of the corporate dairy industry emissions are methane produced by cows). \*Improve productivity and resilience in the dairy sector by reducing the need to feed high-cost imported feed materials. \*Establish a UK-based supply chain to support the diversification of UK agriculture and boost the rural economy by providing higher incomes for farmers. \*Improve food security in the UK and provide rural job opportunities.

Our aim is to breed sheep with a naturally low carbon footprint to help English sheep farmers make a positive contribution to the journey towards Net Zero for UK agriculture. We are an alliance of forward-thinking sheep farmers and breeders who apply genetic science to the breeding of our sheep so that they can make the best, most efficient use of grass and forage to produce sustainable and healthy lamb of high nutritive value. Making use of grasslands by way of sheep grazing also helps sequester carbon into the soil. We collectively believe we can improve the sustainability of our sheep further by using genetic science and breeding to naturally reduce the amount of methane, which is a natural by-product of their forage digestion process, and therefore reduce the carbon footprint of sheep farming. This project will allow us to collect and build the necessary data, and develop the tools required to genetically reduce the methane emissions, and in turn, carbon footprint of sheep; and demonstrate the impact of using low-carbon sheep may have on whole farm carbon footprints. To achieve this, we will develop on-farm protocols to measure or predict methane emissions of sheep, alongside health, production and efficiency traits at the individual animal level, through using new innovative tools and technologies. We will investigate biological relationships between the genetic potential of sheep to emit lower levels of methane with rumen size and microbiota and with ewe productivity, efficiency and health, as we want to avoid any unintended changes in sheep physiology, health or welfare. To widen the impact of the project beyond our own flocks, we intend to carry out a wide-reaching programme of communication with other sheep breeders and farmers throughout England, in collaboration with supply chain partners and wider industry bodies. The integrated knowledge exchange programme will identify the most effective ways of communicating the outputs and implications of the project's work to other farmers to help educate and support them to make genetic changes in their flocks that will improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and profitability.

The use of novel feed materials to increase sustainable protein production whilst improving the health and survival of piglets post-weaning will be addressed. Poor growth rates and high disease incidence are associated with the early post-weaning period due to factors such as oxidative stress that causes gut damage. Sustainable alternatives to zinc oxide, added to feed as an anti-microbial and growth promoter, are required to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve subsequent growth and productivity. Improved pig nutrition across the lifespan will also improve meat quality, reducing import dependence. The project will build on prior feasibility studies where supplementation of pig feed with polyphenols provided protective effects, improving piglet gut health and survival, as well as meat quality and shelf life. Polyphenols are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant compounds present in plant materials. Agri-food by-products (AFBPs) generated by agriculture and food processing activities are readily available for processing to provide a sustainable source of polyphenol-rich feed supplements. Conventional methods (e.g., drying and milling) will be used to process AFBPs for inclusion in pig feed. Polyphenol extraction using previously developed sustainable methods will enable separation of polyphenols from plant fibre. These polyphenol rich extracts can then be standardised for use as supplements. Separation from fibre is important when feeding the young pig as high dietary fibre around weaning reduces nutrient utilisation and thus feed effciency. The benefits of polyphenol supplementation will be examined across the pig lifespan through controlled feeding trials at the University of Leeds National Pig Centre and commercial farms at Cranswick facilities. The economic and sustainability benefits of these innovative approaches will be compared to existing practices. Successful AFBP exploitation will generate additional revenue streams for farmers, divert waste from landfill and help achievement of net-zero carbon emission targets. AFBP use will also reduce the requirement for crop production for animal feed, increasing the availability of land for human food production, further contributing to food security and supply chain resilience. Significant opportunities for innovative animal feed formulations and new product development will be generated, helping grow the UK economy and create employment opportunities, while supporting a transition to a low-carbon circular bioeconomy.

Serum concentration of IgG in neonatal calves is a direct marker of the level of passive transfer of maternal antibody from colostrum. There is substantial evidence that successful passive transfer is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality rates, improved growth rates, feed conversion and lifetime productive capacity, whether the calf is destined to produce milk or enter the beef supply chain. As such, successful passive transfer is a key driver of economic and environmental efficiency on both dairy and beef farms rearing calves sourced from dairy units. ImmunIGy is a pen-side diagnostic test for measuring IgG in calves. It is novel for 2 reasons: firstly it is a Lateral Flow Test which can be carried out by the farmer, pen-side, and secondly the sample can be obtained by the farmer using a lancet on an insensitive part of the calf's nose. Hence the result can be obtained cheaply in the space of a few minutes. The project aims are to ; (a) Confirm that the output of the ImmunIGy test correlates with the current gold standard for measuring IgG, which will confirm its value for use in calves less than a week of age. (b) Determine if the measurement of IgG at collection centres for beef calves from the dairy herd can be used to predict future performance, both alone and when used to improve the function of a pre-existing Calf Algorithm. Such testing can drive improved efficiency of beef production via direct feedback to farms supplying calves with insufficient maternal immunity, pricing differentials and via bespoke management of calves according to their performance prediction. (c) Incorporate the algorithm into an App which will allow calf rearers to test calves on entry, enter the data to predict calf performance and put in place differential management practices, such as separate groups or a different threshold of disease prevalence before implementing antibiotic therapy. (d) Train the participating farmers in the use of the test, the App and the data that they need to provide whilst receiving feedback on its usability.

A Defra review of UK bovine tuberculosis (bTB) strategy acknowledged bTB as the most pressing animal health problem in the UK. The Enferplex Bovine TB Antibody Test is a multiplex ELISA test for the detection of bTB in serum and milk, developed as a collaboration between three companies: SureFarm Ltd, a subsidiary of Synergy Farm Health Ltd (England), MV Diagnostics Ltd (Scotland) and Enfer Scientific ULC, part of Enfer Group (Eire). The test shows high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of bTB in bulk milk. The use of bulk milk as a surveillance tool offers significant opportunities in the control of TB, reducing costs to both farm and taxpayer through easier surveillance and improved control. The test is in the process of evaluation for approval by the World Office of Animal Health, which if accepted would require the UK Government to place mandatory restrictions on any herd testing positive. Therefore, there is a window of opportunity to develop understanding of the value that the test would bring to bTB control in the UK, without risk to the dairy industry and individual farms. We plan a GB wide, longitudinal study on the outcomes of testing bulk milk with the Enferplex bTB Antibody Test. Specifically, the study will focus on: 1\. Test results obtained from herds currently under restriction. While the sensitivity of the test has already been elucidated for the OIE submission, this was based on a single time point and repeating the test may enhance sensitivity. 2\. How many herds currently designated Officially Tuberculosis Free (OTF) would be determined positive by the test. 3\. Understanding the relationship between seropositivity and/or the number of positive antigens and herd bTB status. 4\. Understanding the predictive value of changes in seropositivity and/or the number of positive antigen reactions for tracking progress, or otherwise, of herd bTB control measures. Falling levels of either parameter may suggest a herd moving towards disease freedom; vice versa, rising levels may indicate that current actions are failing to control disease where the herd is already under restriction. 5\. Understanding whether the test could be used as a monitoring tool for low risk OTF herds. The project has the full support of the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA).

We are studying the problem of parasitic gastroenteritis (gut worms) in sheep. We hope to aid UK farmers to farm more efficiently and have less environmental impact. In world where many wormer classes are not working sufficiently, we need to explore the growth rates and financial rewards that can be achieved by exploiting the genetic that can give sheep tolerance or resistance to worms. A study of 45 farms in the South West (1) recently found that around 94% of the average Farm Business Income was made up of the Basic Payment Scheme, which soon to be withdrawn. Anything we can be doing to farm more efficiently should therefore be considered. We run a farm in Cornwall with 800 breeding ewes and regularly pull genetics from the New Zealand flock by importing Rams. We hope to identify and exploit the genetic variation in some sheep which allows them to tolerate or be resistant to worms, whilst still growing sufficiently. Exploiting tolerance or resistance to worms could result in reducing farm labour for drenching, lowering treatment frequency and costs, increasing lamb growing efficiency whilst also improving sheep welfare and production. To test and identify tolerance or resistance, approximately 200 of the Trefrank Farm ram lamb crop (2022) will be weighed and have dung samples taken for faecal egg testing every 2 weeks from July - November. We aim to identify those lambs that can tolerate a high gastrointestinal worm burden whilst still maintaining adequate growth rates. A control group of 20 lambs will be wormed every 4 weeks to act as a 'control' by which to benchmark the test groups' growth rates. It is crucial that welfare is constantly assessed as measured by performance, and any test lambs dropping below 70% of the control group's growth rates will be drenched with a wormer. Results will be analyzed by scientists at the Moredun Institute and disseminated through CIEL. Alongside informing farmers practically, this study will increase the evidence-based knowledge for vets, researchers and also farmers. This approach to using genetics could potentially be replicated and also encourage others to consider tolerance as an important factor in a productive, welfare-driven flock. 1. 'North Devon Pioneer Project' - Business Information Point, Devon

Antler Bio will develop a Precision Herd Screening Tool; an AI-platform enabling farmers to capture/identify specific epigenomic factors that influence phenotypic-response in their herds.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

The use of diagnostics is widely recognised as a powerful tool for improving animal health as well as food hygiene and safety, with a wide variety of diagnostic tests available using a variety of biochemical and physical techniques. However, a common challenge to most diagnostics tools used in agriculture/veterinary medicine is a lack of ability to interface with the entire supply chain, without considerable efforts from the veterinary surgeon or farmer. As a result, massive inefficiencies in logistics, increased wastage and a lack of evidence for key policy making, especially for the dairy industry exist. In this project, the consortium will attempt to a) expand the impact of _currently available_ diagnostic tests, developed by the consortium and designed to help vets choose a suitable treatment outcome, and targetted antibiotic therapy where appropriate and b) create new targeted modules relevant for the dairy industry. By developing a novel hardware and software solution to collate and share diagnostic results, it is hoped that animal health and welfare will be improved and protected, farm productivity maximised through disease reduction and logistical barriers relating to expression of expected milk yield can be overcome.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

The use of antimicrobial treatments in agriculture is vital in protecting animal health and aiding the production of safe and nutritious food. However, previous overuse, and continued use of antibiotics in agriculture has been attributed to the rise in multi-drug resistance (MDR) bacteria, which can lead to ill-health and even death in humans if infected. MDR bacteria have been identified in large numbers of animals and raw food products, representing a major risk to public health and food system security. This is especially important in China and developing countries which rely heavily on animal products for nutrition and livelihoods, with chicken being the fastest growing protein source. GAMA Healthcare have developed an alternative antimicrobial treatment to conventional antibiotics by coupling a cancer medicine delivery system (microparticles) with a new class of short-lived antiseptic, which will be applied to reduce MDR bacteria in on chicken farms. The technology can be customised to meet the specific needs of the end-user, delivering a toxic payload to bacteria present within the animal and can be produced cheaply and safely, making it suitable for the agricultural/veterinary market.

Livestock provide an invaluable source of protein to developing nations. In Africa, livestock also play a crucial role in developing economies with 80% of farmland being managed by small-holding farms (FAO, 2008). Outbreak of disease can have a catastrophic impact to African farmers, having both financial and nutritional consequences. A UK-Kenyan consortium has been formed to tackle Contagious Bovine/Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP/CCPP) - a highly contagious disease causing the suffering and mortality of cattle and goats in developing countries. The aim of this project is to develop a new diagnostic test which will allow for early detection of infected animals to prevent further disease spread throughout the herd. The consortium is composed of CIEL; an UK Agri-tech centre of livestock research excellence, Sidai; a social enterprise company based in Kenya who aim to provide livestock centres of excellence and Biotangents; a UK start-up company with exciting new diagnostic technologies to facilitate early detection of disease causing microbes. The funding of this project will allow crucial work to take place to develop an early stage prototype, which if successful, will be further funded by private investment.

Awaiting Public Project Summary