Experimental designs for rumen microbiology

Research and innovation in relation to microbiology of the rumen is based principally around functional attributes of the populations as they affect digestion and performance of the host animal. What is sought is a better understanding of the complex microbiological communities and identification of ways to manipulate these populations for specified objectives in ruminant production and environmental impact. Further objectives are to develop from that knowledge base, novel anaerobic systems for a range of purposes, such as generation of fuels, detoxification and degradation of waste materials. This chapter is primarily aimed at design of experiments to describe the diversity of rumen microbial populations, identify the factors that influence the composition and nature of associations and quantify relative and absolute growth rates and functional performance of those populations. Many of the principles outlined are applicable to other types of anaerobic microbial systems