Catalogue of Environmental Research Expertise in Ireland

The Catalogue of Irish Expertise in Environmental Research provides an insight into Irish Companies and Research Organisations active in the field of Environmental Research. You can View and Search the profiles of Irish researchers and companies; Register your profile; Keep it up-to-date; but also post your Partner Search Request or Expression of interest in a specific Call.

This is an Individual Researcher Profile

Researcher Contact Details

Research Title: Dr.

Contact First Name: Tommy

Contact Surname: Boland

Contact Address:

Rm. 1.52, Agriculture and Food Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 Ireland

Telephone Contact Number: 00 353 1 716 7144

Fax Contact Number:

Email Address: tommy.boland@ucd.ie

Organisation Details

Organisation Type: Higher Education Organisation

Higher Education Organisation Name: University College Dublin

Other Organisation Name(s) if appropriate:

Research Organisation or Company/Corporate Website: http://www.ucd.ie/foodandhealth/people/academicstaff/drtommyboland/

Organisation or Individual Expertise:
The overall focus of my research is the efficient utilisation of nutrients in ruminant animal production systems. This research takes a range of approaches to addressing the key issue of efficiency of ruminant production systems. This includes Grazing system management Use of multi-species swards to enhance sustainability of grazing systems Genetics (impact of RFI on efficiency of beef cattle) Breeding (impact of breed on profitability of sheep production systems) Nutrition (forage quality [grazed and conserved]; forage to concentrate ratio, dietary additives, novel feed ingredients, by-product feeding and mineral nutrition) In utero programming (The impact of maternal diet [mineral and energy] on immunity and lifetime performance of the progeny) Rumen function (impact of diet on rumen function and fermentation) Rumen microbial population (use of range of approaches from microbial community analysis to metagenomics to understand the animal-diet-microbiome interaction) Rumen microbiome development (impact of pre and peri-weaning management of the ruminant on rumen microbiome development) Feed analysis Enteric methane mitigation (impact of diet, genetics and production system on methane emissions) Nitrogen efficiency (dietary strategies to minimise loss and alter pathways of nitrogen excretion) Artificial rumen simulation (comparison of continuous culture and batch culture in vitro systems and in vivo rumen function) Role of multi-species swards in pasture based agriculture (agronomy, nutritive value and biodiversity) Assessment of perennial ryegrass cultivars in grazing and cutting systems Recent important findings from my group include: Dietary methane mitigation strategies which can reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminants by 18 to 50%. The development of management systems to enhance animal production in an environmentally sustainable manner Identification of dietary constituents which reduce the ability of the offspring to absorb colostral antibodiesthrough in utero programming of the offspring Dirvers of impaired gene expression and hence absorptive capacity in the ruminant small intestine

Organisation or Individual Expertise Keywords:
Ruminant, Rumen, Dairy, Beef , Sheep, Ruminant nutrition, Rumen microbiome, rumen function, rumen metagenomics, rumen microbes, In utero growth restriction, in utero pre-programming, Methane, Nitrogen, Ammonia, Nitrous oxide, Mineral nutrition, Trace elements, Major elements, Animal Science, Grassland, Perennial ryegrass, Multi species swards, RUSITEC, artificial rumen, total gas production, feed analysis, Net Energy, PDI, UFL, late pregnancy nutrition, growth curves, feed efficiency, residual feed intake, RFI

National Research Funding

EPA Research Programme

This researcher or research organisation has expressed interest in the following areas:

Sustainable Environment Research
Climate Change Research

Involvement in Relevant National Expert Groups

EU Research Partnerships

This researcher or research organisation has expressed interest in the following areas of EU Research Partnerships:

Climate Change

Interests indicated in the Climate Change Joint Programming Initiative

χNo Climate Change JPI sub-interests specified

Relevant information in relation to Participation relevant experts groups

No information specified

Details of any previous or current EU-funded projects the individual or organisation were involved in.

No information specified

Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 website

Challenge 5 (Climate Action, Resource Efficiency & Raw Materials)

This researcher or research organisation has outlined their interests in Challenge 5 as follows:

Fighting and adapting to climate change

Improve the understanding of climate change and the provision of reliable climate projections

Sustainably managing natural resources and ecosystems

Further our understanding of biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems, their interactions with social systems and their role in sustaining the economy and human wellbeing

Provide knowledge and tools for effective decision making and public engagement policies

Transition towards a green economy through eco-innovation

Support innovative policies and societal changes

Measure and assess progress towards a green economy

Strengthen eco-innovative technologies, processes, services and products including exploring ways to reduce the quantities of raw materials in production and consumption, and overcoming barriers in this context and boost their market uptake

Focus Areas

Sustainable food security

Smart cities and communities

Energy Efficiency

Societal Challenges 5 Priority Areas

This researcher/organisation has interest(s) in Societal Challenges 5 Priority Areas as outlined as follows

Nature-based Solutions

Expertise in Societal Challenges 5 Cross-cutting Areas

This researcher has indicated interest(s) and expertise in Societal Challenges 5 Cross-cutting areas as follows:

International cooperation

The following information was supplied about International Cooperation in SC5 Cross-cutting areas

Details of Participation in European Innovation Partnerships and European Technology Platforms:

The details of any ETPs or EIP this researcher/organisation have participated in or are currently participating in is outlined as follows.

No participation information provided.

Relevant EU Research Experience

Information in relation to Participation in relevant experts groups

I act as an expert reviewer on FP7 calls

Involvement in EU-funded research projects: Please outline details of any previous or current EU-funded projects the individual or organisation was involved in.