Ruminant husbandry is a major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG). There is a large body of nutrition-related GHG and ammonia (NH3) mitigation data. These data, however, are not well organized. The GLOBAL NETWORK we propose herein will accumulate, analyze, and systematize these existing resources. The goals of this project are to: (1) Create, update, and expand animal and feed databases for mitigation of enteric methane (CH4); (2) Gain understanding of the contribution of genetic and microbial factors to variation in enteric CH4 production, digestion, and nutrient utilization; (3) Validate markers of enteric methanogenesis for the development and monitoring of CH4 mitigation strategies in ruminants; (4) Create, update, and expand a database of mitigation strategies aimed at improving dietary N utilization and lowering N excretion and NH3 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from manure; (5) Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and guidelines for conducting and assessing data from in vitro and in vivo studies designed to evaluate nutritional strategies for mitigation of CH4, NH3, and N2O emissions; (6) Develop new and evaluate existing models for predicting CH4 emission and N excretions under various nutritional, animal, and farm management scenarios; and (7) Identify and recommend CH4, NH3, and N2O mitigation technologies that are practical and feasible for the specific conditions of livestock production systems in the consortium countries. These activities will be integrated with the activities of the “Network and Database on Feed and Nutrition in Relation to Greenhouse Gas Emissions” (FNN, currently with 23 member-countries). The research we propose will go beyond developing and maintaining an enteric CH4 mitigation database to also include dietary manipulations to reduce N excretion by the animal, which will mitigate NH3 and N2O emissions from manure storage or land application/deposition. Our multinational team of FNN member countries will assess the performance and relevance of various quantification protocols and SOP developed to calculate emission reduction potential of mitigation strategies for enteric CH4 and N excretion. Intensive research will be conducted to understand genetic and microbial factors contributing to variability in CH4 production and to validate markers of enteric methanogenesis. Based on the mitigation databases, the team will develop, improve, and evaluate models for predicting CH4 production under various dietary, animal, and farm management conditions and also the impact of diet on excreta composition as related to NH3 and N2O emissions from manure. The proposed GLOBAL NETWORK will fill important knowledge gaps and provide the much needed expert recommendations for future research priorities, methodologies and science-based GHG mitigation solutions to government and non-governmental organizations, advisory/extension networks, and the ruminant livestock sector.

Monsoon systems influence the water supply and livelihoods of over half of the world. Observations are too short to provide estimates of monsoon variability on the multi-year timescale relevant to the future or to identify the causes of change on this timescale. The credibility of future projections of monsoon behavior is limited by the large spread in the simulated magnitude of precipitation changes. Past climates provide an opportunity to overcome these problems. This project will use annually-resolved palaeoenvironmental records of climate variability over the past 6000 years from corals, molluscs, speleothems and tree rings, together with global climate-model simulations and high-resolution simulations of the Indian, African, East Asia and South American monsoons, to provide a better understanding of monsoon dynamics and interannual to multidecadal variability (IM). We will use the millennium before the pre-industrial era (850-1850 CE) as the reference climate and compare this with simulations of the mid- Holocene (6000 years ago) and transient simulations from 6000 year ago to ca 850 CE. We will provide a quantitative and comprehensive assessment of what aspects of monsoon variability are adequately represented by current models, using environmental modelling to simulate the observations. By linking modelling of past climates and future projections, we will assess the credibility of these projections and the likelihood of extreme events at decadal time scales. The project is organized around four themes: (1) the impact of external forcing and extratropical climates on intertropical convergence and the hydrological cycle in the tropics; (2) characterization of IM variability to determine the extent to which the stochastic component is modulated by external forcing or changes in mean climate; (3) the influence of local (vegetation, dust) and remote factors on the duration, intensity and pattern of the Indian, African and South American monsoons; and (4) the identification of paleo-constraints that can be used to assess the reliability of future monsoon evolution.

Due to demographic and lifestyle changes, traumatic injuries and inflammatory diseases have grown to become paramount medical and socio-economic challenges in industrialized nations. The success of the available cells therapies relies largely on their regenerative potential, which is anticipated to vary with age and disuse. There is a need of a new generation of innovators able to develop transformative approaches to stem cell manipulation to accelerate their translation into clinical practice. So far, biochemical treatments with soluble factors are still the gold standard to induce and direct stem cell differentiation towards a specific lineage. This approach has, however, limitations mostly related to its costs, possible side effects, upscaling challenging and finally lack of innovation. Our scientific approach entails the combined use of materials (e.g., nanofibrillar cellulose, calcium phosphates, hydrogels) and their nano-, and microfabrication techniques together with physical stimulation to direct and monitor both stem cell fate and secretory activity. The key innovative aspect of the project resides in the combination of advanced physico-mechanical stimuli (e.g., topographic, vibrational and electric stimuli) tackling the need for a process that can guarantee large amounts of differentiated and effective cells for their use in a clinical setting. Moreover, highly sensitive sensors will be developed and adopted to monitor the release of specific cytokines secreted informing on differentiation state and regenerative potential. They will allow us to modulate the stimulation protocols and to optimize the procedures in a simpler, more convenient, and thorough way. A proof of concept of a cell-processing factory will be developed to test the efficacy of the strategies combining stem cells and stimulation protocols. The cross-disciplinary consortium will integrate the different and complementary technologies and know-hows from the partners’ laboratories. The consortium will bring together the expertise in stem cell biology, sensor development, bioelectronics, piezoelectric materials, microfluidics, macro- and nanofabrication as well as physical stimulation to deliver a multi-modular integrated lab-scale cell process factory to study and investigate stem cell fate in response to the investigated materials and physical stimuli. The project will lead to the creation of transformative knowledge in guiding adult stem cell fate for biomedical applications. It will allow the establishment of innovative, integrated approach towards the production, stimulation, and control of stem cells that will benefit both the academic and the industrial world. Thanks to the MRSEI-ANR call, an European consortium will be built that will mentor and train a new generation of Scientists/Innovators providing advanced knowledge and skills in physics, materials, manufacturing, and stem cell biology. These areas rarely combined together, will lead to the development of innovative tools to support breakthrough advances in the technologies allowing manipulation of stem cells for clinical applications. Novel training programs will be developed together with the clinical and industrial partners allowing PhD candidates to enrich and nurture their skills and step outside academia, in particular in industry and business.