Ogemdi Anika - Research aims to turn cow manure into energy

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, fuelling climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere, raising temperatures around the world.

One of the biggest causes comes from the farming sector, directly from cows as manure and bodily emissions but also from fertiliser used and production and land-use change.

A recent assessment from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition found that cutting farming-related methane emissions would be key in the battle against climate change. 

Methane now contributes more than a third of all greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which microorganisms break down organic materials in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas, which is primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, and a natural fertiliser.

PhD researcher Ogemdi Anika is investigating how to make this process more efficient using agricultural waste and producing more methane which can then be used as a renewable energy source for heating, transport or electricity.

Ogemdi’s research examines how yeasts and enzymes could be used to improve the treatment of agricultural waste and produce more biogas.

Ultimately, it could help climate change by producing renewable energy and useful soil conditioner from waste materials and mitigating current emissions by replacing chemical fertilisers.  

In 2022, she was named the UK’s Best Young Biomass Researcher for her studies.