BIOMARQ'LAIT -Identification of biomarkers in milk to monitor the nutritional status of dairy cows

The aim of the BIOMARQ'LAIT project was to identify molecules that could be measured in milk, in order to use a non-invasive approach to determine the capacity of dairy cows to cope with an energy deficit. In this project, numerous milk components have been studied in whole milk, fat globules, extracellular vesicles and mammary epithelial cells. A panel of candidate biomarkers consisting of metabolites, proteins and microRNAs was built up. The project then led to the development of equations to predict the concentrations of three metabolites of interest based on the mid-infrared spectra of milk. The new references acquired during the project were then disseminated to stakeholders in the dairy sector through institutional, technical and scientific communications. An educational kit was also produced to provide farmers and students with a better understanding of the energy deficit in dairy cows.