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Clostridium beijerinckii. Pichia. Unless you are a microbiome scientist, these microorganisms are not household names.

But these living organisms live in the machine that drives many decisions on the dairy farm: the rumen of the cow. Native Microbials is a San Diego-based company that uses microorganisms to increase the production and efficiency of dairy cows. It is about to launch a second product, which it believes will further increase milk production.

The company released its first dairy product Galaxis 1.0 last year, which contains the active microorganisms Clostridium beijerinckii and Pichia kudriavzevii. The product is packaged in a 10 kg polyester film bag that can be mixed into a total mixed ration, and only 5 grams per head per day-or 0.01 lb per head per day-is enough to feed 2,000 cows.

Now, Native Microbials is preparing to launch its second product, Galaxis Frontier, which has four active microorganisms-Rumenococcus bovis, Lactobacillus cellulolyticus, Clostridium beijerinckii and Pichia pastoris-and can further increase milk production and Feed efficiency.

Lisa Marotz is a microbiome scientist at Native Microbials. She has only worked in the dairy industry for a year, but she has been studying microbial ecosystems for much longer. She said that in the past 20 years, in order to better understand the role of microorganisms in organisms, including animals, next-generation sequencing has flourished.

"The dairy industry is a great place, because unlike other animals, cows and ruminants need their microbiome," Marotz said. "We know that the rumen microbiota is not only vital to her health, but also to her ability to produce milk."

Native Microbials was founded by a group of microbiologists six years ago. Their primary goal is to count the types of microorganisms that live in the rumen of dairy cows. Marotz said the researchers collected 6,000 samples from cows all over the world, including in the United States and Mexico.

"They want to see the diversity there," she said. "We are just trying to understand as much as possible what the rumen microbiome looks like in different situations."

What these researchers found is a common core microbiome that is the same for cows grazing in Vermont or high-grain cows in Mexico.

Marotz said that it was from this core microbiome that additional analysis was performed to discover the microorganisms most relevant to dairy cow health and high production. She said these "key organisms" were identified and separated using an anaerobic chamber.

The challenge of cultivating microorganisms is that they are living organisms, which must be preserved and are highly sensitive to oxygen.

Marotz said the company has developed a licensed technology that can freeze-dry microorganisms with a protective layer. The final product is a powdered feed additive packaged in a polyester film bag that can be mixed into the TMR. But it can only be stable for 24 hours in TMR.

These 10 kg bags are designed to feed 2,000 cows at a rate of 5 grams per head per day. For smaller 200-head dairy products, one bag can be used for a little more than a week.

Marotz said the company uses microtracer audits on farms to ensure that the correct amount is mixed into the TMR. She said the company is developing smaller bags for use in small dairy plants.

The biggest question is whether feed additives—the current cost of 10 cents per head per day—can bring sufficient returns.

In a study conducted by California-based Dairy Experts (a contract research organization), the results of Galaxis 1.0 were not satisfactory, but it did show hope for Galaxis Frontier.

The additives are fed to 90 lactating Holstein cows for 20 to 40 days. The results showed that, on average, cows fed Galaxis Frontier produced 4 kg (8.8 lb) more milk than cows fed no additives. They also produce more milk fat and protein, and feed more efficiently.

However, the production, milk fat and protein of dairy cows fed Galaxis 1.0 only slightly increased. In fact, according to a report by dairy experts, it was not even statistically significant in the control group.

Marotz said that currently only 20 farms, mainly larger farms, are using the product. These dairy plants are mainly located in California and Colorado, with trials in Arizona and academic trials at Pennsylvania State University. She said that because every state regulates animal feed additives, Galaxis has not yet been approved in several high-profile dairy states, including New York and Texas.

Nonetheless, Marotz said the product may be a good choice for dairy producers who want a natural alternative to increase milk production.

"We bring value to farmers. It's really cool, new technology, and completely natural," she said. "We think this is a safer way to increase the efficiency of dairy cows. These are native rumen microbes that you can't find anywhere else. You can't compare them with existing direct-fed microbes. It really comes from science. core."

For more information on Galaxis feed additives and local microorganisms, please visit nativemicrobials.com.

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