Advances in Rumen Microbiome Science: Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Livestock Production
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 19
Special Issue Editors
Interests: microbiota; metagenomics; viral WGS; phylogeny; molecular typing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: ruminant nutrition; microbiology; milk quality; meat quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The ruminal microbiome—the synergistic consortium of bacteria, archaea, protozoa, fungi, and viruses inhabiting the forestomach of ruminants—drives the bioconversion of recalcitrant plant fiber into nutrients, underpins animal productivity, and represents the largest natural source of anthropogenic methane. Elucidating its composition and function is therefore pivotal for improving feed efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, safeguarding animal health, and securing sustainable protein production.
Despite the fact that rapid progress has been made, fundamental knowledge gaps persist. We still lack the strain-level resolution of key fibrolytic and methanogenic guilds across breeds, ages, and production systems; temporal dynamics during critical physiological transitions remain under-sampled; cross-kingdom interactions, especially viral predation and protozoal symbioses, are poorly quantified; and integrative models linking microbial activities to host genetics, immune tone, and metabolite fluxes are missing.
Several trends are poised to close these gaps. Long-read metagenomics and single-cell genomics are revealing novel lineages previously masked by assembly fragmentation. Layered multi-omics (metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics) combined with spatially resolved omics and rumen-organoid platforms are uncovering micro-niche functional heterogeneity. Machine learning pipelines leveraging global rumen databases are beginning to predict community responses to diet and climate stressors, enabling data-driven precision feeding strategies.
This Special Issue welcomes the submission of contributions that (i) integrate multi-omics datasets to map metabolic handoffs; (ii) dissect archaeal–bacterial syntropy underlying methanogenesis and explore alternative hydrogen sinks; (iii) characterize the rumen virome and its potential for phage therapy; (iv) manipulate protozoa and anaerobic fungi for enhanced fiber degradation; (v) elucidate host genetic and epigenetic determinants of microbiome assembly; (vi) evaluate plant secondary metabolites, nanoparticles, or microbiome-modulating enzymes as antibiotic alternatives; (vii) model microbiome shifts under heat stress, water scarcity, and novel forages; and (viii) develop synbiotic or engineered consortia for climate-smart livestock. Collectively, these efforts will contribute towards achieving transformative and sustainable ruminant production globally.
Reviews, original research, and communications are welcome to be submitted to this Special Issue
Dr. Simone Peletto
Guest Editor
Dr. Lorenzo Danilo Granados-Rivera
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- ruminal microbiome
- metagenomics
- methanogenesis
- feed efficiency
- multi-omics
- host–microbe interactions
- microbial ecology
- rumen fermentation
- climate mitigation
- precision livestock
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
