🎉 Congratulations to @Rachel_flinch on successfully defending her MS thesis! Her work explored how the #rumen #microbiome influences #MethaneEmissions & #FeedEfficiency in forage-based beef #cattle operations. Excited to see what’s next for her! @UTAnimalScience @UTAgResearch

Proud to have our lab representing @UTKnoxville & @UTIAg at #ASMMicrobe 2026 in D.C. Our students are presenting research spanning #FeedSupplements, #MethaneMitigation, #FeedEfficiency, & next-gen #Probiotics—all aimed at improving the future of #AnimalAg. @UTAgResearch

A great outing today with a delegation of Brazilian researchers and educators at the @UTIAg. Really enjoyed the conversations, exchanging ideas, and getting to know each other’s work. Excited for future collaboration! Many thanks to the @utsmithcenter for making it possible.

Grateful to mentor in @ASMicrobiology Future Leaders Mentorship Fellowship over the past 2 years. The future of #microbiology is in good hands. This program brings together driven, thoughtful early-career scientists & gives them the space to grow. #Mentorship @UTAgResearch

Grateful for the opportunity to share ideas in Expanding Horizons alongside an inspiring group of faculty pushing boundaries across disciplines Big thanks to @ResearchUTK & @UTAgResearch for investing in faculty development & fostering the next generation of research leadership

After working with efficiency & resilience phenotypes long enough, you realize it’s rarely about which microbes are present — it’s about what they’re doing & when. That realization changes how you sample, analyze, & interpret nearly everything. #RumenMicrobiome @UTAgResearch

Feed efficiency isn’t just the animal — it’s the animal & its microbes. We’re treating feed efficiency as a whole-system trait — integrating rumen microbes, host genomics, & precision phenotypes to understand why some animals are biologically more efficient than others.

🎉 2026: Vol-Powered. Microbe-Driven. Impact-Focused! 🎉 ✨ Feed efficiency ✨ Microbiome–host interactions ✨ Training future leaders in animal science Grateful for the people & partnerships that power our land-grant mission. #GoVols! 🍊 @UTAgResearch @UTIAg @CritterChatter

🎶On the 12th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me... Happy holiday wishes to you and your family!   @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter

🎶On the 11th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me...   Rumen Fluid Metabolites!   Rumen fluid metabolomes differ in steers of varying feed efficiencies, providing insight on contributing factors in feed efficiency. doi.org/10.1007/s11306-020-1…   @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter

🎶On the 10th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me... Protozoa, which can influence feed efficiency! Rumen protozoa community diversity has been suggested to be associated with feed efficiency in #beef steers! doi.org/10.3390/ani11061561 @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter

🎶On the 9th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me... Microbes important for growth! We demonstrated how the action of growth promotion supplements & different concentrations of protein impact the rumen microbiome. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone… @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter

🎶On the 8th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me... Microbes important for fescue toxicosis! Our group has shown that clover isoflavones reduced microbes associated with #fescue toxicosis. doi.org/10.1093/tas/txy147 doi.org/10.3390/data10060079 @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter

🎶On the 7th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me... Biomarkers for feed efficiency! Flavobacteriia and Pantothenate may potentially serve as novel biomarkers to predict or evaluate feed efficiency in #Angus steers. nature.com/articles/s41598-0… @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter

🎶On the 6th day of #microbes, the #rumen gave to me... Patience! Following significant dietary changes, the rumen #microbiome can take up to 9 weeks to stabilize. nature.com/articles/s41598-0… @UTAgResearch @CritterChatter