(TibetanReview.net, Dec02’25) – Chinese scientists have found what could be new secret weapons in their hand to make technological breakthroughs: the faeces of yaks, Tibetan sheep, antelope and other herbivores native to the Tibetan Plateau that harbour thousands of previously unknown microbial species, some of which could be game changers for biotechnology, reported the scmp.com Nov 30.
The researchers have mapped an enormous collection of unknown microbes hidden inside these animals, revealing biological functions that could power the next generation of biotechnology. They have revealed that the enzymes found in many of these faecal microbes could strengthen industrial processes that depend on faster and cleaner cellulose degradation.
They include novel strains of microbe that have the potential to degrade cellulose – used for paper, cardboard and clothing – and other strains that could help reduce methane emissions from livestock production.
Besides, the microbes may also help identify biological pathways that limit methane emissions from livestock.
The researchers have also said the genomic data could support the potential development of novel gene-editing tools, antimicrobial peptides and other biotechnology products.
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“Our results showed that animals living in harsh environments are promising sources for the discovery of novel biological functions of gut-residing microbes,” they were stated to have written in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Microbiome this month (November).
“Our study presents the first blueprint of the gut microbiota of native mammals at the Tibetan Plateau, termed the Third Pole.
“[It] emphasises that a considerable number of unknown microbial species still remain [to] be uncovered, and that global efforts are needed to characterise the huge repertoire of microbial organisms and elucidate their biological roles in various environmental niches.”
Scientists from Yunnan University and BGI-Research were sated to have spent five years collecting more than 5,000 fresh faecal samples from six herbivores native to the Tibetan Plateau: yaks, Tibetan sheep, antelope, cattle, horses and wild asses called kiangs.
For their initial study, the researchers have analysed 1,412 of the samples and found that 88% of the microbial species were previously unknown.
Lead author Zhang Zhigang, a researcher at Yunnan University, has said China could gain strategic value from these newly discovered microbial resources. “Nations that spearhead the discovery of these resources stand to gain control, particularly over any patentable functional elements,” he has said.
He has also said the team would look into the possibilities of using the discoveries to develop small molecule drugs – compounds that can easily enter cells and target specific biological processes.
He is positive that an ongoing experiment will help reduce methane emissions from animals, thus contributing to reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The study was stated to have been conducted as part of the multi-year Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Programme of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its top 10 application achievements were officially released in Tibet’s capital Lhasa on Nov 19.
The expedition, launched in Aug 2017, mobilized over 3,000 research teams and more than 30,000 personnel, conducting comprehensive surveys across the entire plateau region, China’s official Xinhua news agency earlier reported Nov 19.