FEED SUPPLEMENT FOR RUMINANTS TARGETING THE MAINTENANCE OF THEIR HEALTH AND PRODUCTION YIELDS IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE DAIRY AND MEAT INDUSTRY NOT ONLY TO THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS BUT ALSO FOR CONSUMER HEALTH. THE PRODUCTION YIELD OF COWS IN FEED INTAKE, MILK PRODUCTION, AND MILK QUALITY, IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE RELATED TO AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTATION; IN ADDITION, FAT IS ANOTHER VITAL ADDITIVE THAT THE SUPPLEMENTATION IS OFTEN CRITICAL IN BOTH DAIRY- AND MEAT-PRODUCTION ANIMALS. EARLY IN LACTATION, DAIRY COWS ARE OFTEN CHALLENGED ENERGETICALLY BY A NEGATIVE ENERGY BALANCE. TO PREPARE FOR THIS, COWS STOCK BODY ENERGY RESOURCES TO COMPENSATE FOR FUTURE ENERGY DEFICITS, AND FATS, BEING THE MOST ENERGY-DENSE COMPOUNDS, ARE OFTEN SUPPLEMENTED FOR THIS REASON.DELIVERY OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH-GIVING ADDITIVES IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE DUE TO THE COW'S DIGESTIVE TRACT, IN WHICH MOST OF THE ADDITIVES COULD BE DEGRADED IN RUMEN BEFORE BEING ABSORBED BY THE STOMACH. THEREFORE, NOT ONLYDELIVERY OF HEALTH-GIVING ADDITIVES, BUT ALSO HIGH-YIELD SUPPLEMENTATION OF ADDITIVES IS LACKING IN THIS FIELD. THIS DRIVES A SUBSTANTIAL DEMAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE, HIGH-YIELD, COST-EFFECTIVE PLATFORMS THAT CAN ENABLE RUMEN PROTECTION AND POST-RUMINAL DELIVERY OF DESIRABLE NUTRIENTS. CURRENT EFFORTS TO PROTECT SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS FROM THE RUMEN EXIST AND ARE UBIQUITOUS IN THE INDUSTRY, ALTHOUGH MANY OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE FRAUGHT WITH PROTECTION AND DELIVERY INEFFICIENCIES. FURTHERMORE, SOME TRADITIONAL RUMEN-PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES POSE SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISKS TO BOTH ANIMALS AND WORKERS. MOREOVER, STANDARD ENCAPSULATION NUTRIENT-DELIVERY TECHNIQUES ARE LIMITED IN CARRYING CAPACITY AND TARGETED DELIVERY AND SUFFER FROM A LACK OF EFFICIENCY. TO THAT END, WE TARGETED THE DELIVERY OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION THAT INCLUDES BOTH AMINO ACIDS AND FAT ON A SMART PLATFORM THAT CAN IMPROVE MILK QUALITY IN DAIRY COWS. THE STRATEGIES WE HAVE PROPOSED HEREIN PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR ANIMAL FEED THAT CAN BE USED WITH CONFIDENCE AND ARE FEASIBLE FOR LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION.THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO ANIMAL HEALTH AND FOOD QUALITY, WHICH ARE CRITICAL ISSUES OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT WILL BE NOT ONLY ON ANIMAL NUTRITION, GROWTH, AND LACTATION BUT ALSO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY OF FARMERS AND PROMOTE CONSUMER HEALTH. HEREIN WE AIM TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR DESIGNS BASED ON THE USE OF SAFE, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, AND COST-EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS AND PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES TO DELIVER HEALTH-GIVING ADDITIVES SIMULTANEOUSLY TO COWS IN A MANNER THAT PROVIDES A HEALTH BENEFIT TO THE ANIMALS AND EFFICIENCY GAINS TO PRODUCERS.FINALLY, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO PROMOTE INTEREST IN ANIMAL NUTRITION AND NUTRIENT STABILIZATION AMONG YOUNGER SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS. OUR EFFORTS WILL INCLUDE ELICITING SIGNIFICANT PARTICIPATION ON THE PART OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS AS WELL AS GRADUATE STUDENTS. THIS WILL INCLUDE ANNUAL HOSTING OFUNDERGRADUATE SUMMER SCHOLARS FROM MINORITY INSTITUTIONS WHEREBY SELECTED STUDENTS WOULD SPEND THE SUMMER MONTHS WORKING ON THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND DEVELOPING VALUABLE LABORATORY AND DATA-HANDLING SKILLS IN ADDITION TO HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT THEIR WORK TO PROJECT STAFF AND IN A UNIVERSITY-SPONSORED FORUM. FURTHERMORE, DISCOVERIES COMING FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PI'S TEACHING CURRICULA.