Researchers in the United States are developing a pill to reduce methane emissions from cows

A cow belches out about 100 kilograms of methane every year, and researchers in the United States are developing a pill to reduce or eliminate the methane released by cows when they belch.

The research project, conducted at the Institute for Innovative Genomics at the University of California, Davis and Berkeley, aims to develop a single-dose treatment that would be administered when the animals are young, as most cows are free-grazing and cannot receive daily supplements.

The researchers hope to reduce Methane emissions at the source by altering the bacteria in the guts of cows, introducing genetically engineered microbes to absorb hydrogen and starve out bacteria that produce methane.

The team proceeded with the experiment cautiously. "We can't reduce methane emissions simply by removing those methane-producing bacteria, because hydrogen can accumulate in the body and end up harming the animals," said lab leader Matthias Hess.

The researchers are currently testing different formulations in bioreactors that simulate the conditions the microbes live in the stomach, including movement and temperature.

The team was given $70 million and seven years to carry out the study.

While the fossil fuel industry and some natural resources emit methane, dairy cows emit so much methane that cattle farming has become a major climate problem.

Methane is the second biggest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, which breaks down faster but is more destructive.