Alex Benoit: Investigating cow metabolism to enhance dairy sustainability

Benoit’s connection to dairy farming stems from her upbringing in northern Vermont, near the Canadian border. “I was in a 4-H program, showing cows alongside friends with dairy farms,” she recalled. Her passion for animal science led her to pursue an undergraduate degree at Cornell University. 

After graduating in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Benoit remained at Cornell, as a research assistant in Van Amburgh’s lab —a pivotal year that deepened her interest in research and set the stage for graduate studies. “I wanted to learn about dairy management in a different region and explore strategies to increase milk fat,” she said. Milk fat is a key driver of pricing, quality and profitability, as higher fat content leads to more valuable products like butter and cream.  

She decided to pursue a master’s degree at Michigan State University. Her research there showed that increasing all sources of milk fat — rather than just one — most effectively increased milk fat. “Strategies that support both the fatty acids cows synthesize and those they consume improve milk fat yields,” she said. 

Returning to Cornell for her PhD, Benoit is back in the Van Amburgh lab. "I’m connecting my experience working with fatty acids with amino acid research,” she said. Her work explores how these components interact to optimize milk production.

In one project, she studied the effects of increasing the supply of lysine, a key amino acid for dairy cows. “We had completed a few studies with lysine that showed an increase in milk fat and protein, but in this case, we saw an unexpected interaction with chromium, we hypothesize was through an effect on insulin sensitivity,” Benoit said. Since insulin plays a critical role in regulating energy metabolism, such findings underscore the complexity of dairy nutrition — not just the supply of nutrients, but how cows metabolize them.

In a study launching in fall 2025, Benoit will investigate insulin’s role in nutrient use. “We’ll test the effect of varying levels of amino acids, fatty acids, and insulin on milk component production, and additionally measure enzyme responses in mammary tissue,” she explained. 

“Translating our research to [dairy farmers] is what matters most, because they’re the ones feeding the cows and producing the milk.”

Benoit’s research both utilizes and helps refine the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS), a model initially created by Van Amburgh that predicts cows’ nutritional needs by integrating data on feed composition, digestion and metabolism to inform precise feeding strategies. 

Looking ahead, Benoit hopes to contribute to both academia and industry — translating research into practical strategies for dairy farms. “At the end of the day, our audience is dairy farmers,” she said. “Translating our research to them is what matters most, because they’re the ones feeding the cows and producing the milk. I hope the research helps them make informed decisions, improve efficiency and continue producing high-quality milk in a more sustainable way.”

Caroline Stamm ’24 is a communications assistant for the Cornell CALS Department of Animal Science.