Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Dr. Robert J Gruninger studies rumen microbiology at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada. I uses a combination of metagenomics, transcriptomics, enzymology to understand the dynamic structure and function of the rumen microbiome. In particular, I am interested in the mechanisms invovled in the digestion of the plant cell wall both at the microbiome level and in pure cultures of rumen microbes. I am also interested in how diet influences the rumen microbiome and in discovering methods to manipulate this community to specifically reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emmisions generated during the production of beef and dairy.