Aisling McGrath Awarded Second Place in BSAS Undergraduate Thesis of the Year 2025

The British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) is delighted to announce that Aisling McGrath has been awarded second place in the prestigious Undergraduate Thesis of the Year Award 2025.

Aisling, who studied microbiology with a minor in agri-biosciences, impressed the judges with her innovative thesis exploring whether a novel process called Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer (DIET) occurs in the rumen. Her research provided the first evidence that electroactive microbes, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, may contribute to methane production in livestock.

This pioneering work opens new perspectives for tackling one of agriculture’s greatest climate challenges – methane emissions – and highlights the potential for microbiology to contribute to sustainable farming and the wider bioeconomy.

Speaking about her achievement, Aisling said:
“I’m proud to have placed second in the Undergraduate Thesis of the Year Award. To have my work recognised alongside the best undergraduate research in the UK and Ireland is an honour. It validates the effort and persistence I put into my thesis and shows how microbiology can play a key role in solving global challenges like climate change.”

The Undergraduate Thesis of the Year Award celebrates the outstanding achievements of students whose research makes a meaningful contribution to animal science and its application in industry.