We would like to request access to Methanosphaera sp. strain ISO3-F5, Methanomassiliicoccales sp. strains ISO4-H5 and ISO4-G1, Methanobacterium formicicum strain BRM9, Methanosarcina barkeri strain CM1, Methanobacterium bryantii strain YCM1 and the rumen bacterium Eubacterium maltosivorans strain SA11. We propose to grow and work on these strains in our AgResearch labs in NZ and also share these strains and their genomic DNAs with the University of Illinois and Oak Ridge National Laboratory via a Material Transfer Agreement to allow them to assist in development of genetic tools for these organisms.   We envisage that this work will generate gene-specific mutants of the target strains that will be useful for elucidating the function of genes involved in methane formation and for studying the processes supplying substrates for methanogenesis in the rumen. It will also enable testing the essentiality of methanogen genes that are current targets for vaccines or inhibitor development, thereby adding value to these projects. Such mutants would be made available to the Vaccine and Inhibitors programmes once developed.