A Nickel-Binding Feed Additive for Improved Feed Efficiency & Productivity in Cattle

This project aims to test a new class of feed additives designed to improve productivity by redirecting energy away from methane waste towards greater meat and milk production in cattle. We will evaluate AMP-202, a feed additive that employs a novel mechanism that reduces the bioavailability of nickel. Nickel is required by the rumen microbes to produce waste methane, yet there is no known nutritional requirement for nickel in ruminants themselves. Reducing the rumen concentration of nickel will inhibit methane production, allowing the animals to capture energy from feed that would otherwise be lost to methane.This project will specifically test the safety and tolerability of AMP-202 in beef cattle, and inform an understanding of its impact on methane production and average daily gain. Building on promising in vitro data that demonstrate nickel-dependent and dose-dependent inhibition ofmethanogenesis by AMP-202, this project includes three tasks:1. Proof-of-concept test for safety and efficacy in cattle2. Dose-finding to identify lowest effective dose3. Necropsy to evaluate toxicologyThe primary objective of this study is to assess safety and tolerability of AMP-202, with secondary outcomesrelated to efficacy. Promising results from this study will support a Phase 2 application to conduct a larger efficacy study.