Scientists are preparing to submit a potential breakthrough vaccine preventing foot and mouth disease (FMD) in livestock for regulatory approval, but the New South Wales government says the Commonwealth should be doing more to support the project.

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) researchers have been working with US company Tiba BioTech to develop the synthetic mRNA vaccine.

"This vaccine is the equivalent for cows, as penicillin was for humans," NSW Primary Industries Minister Tara Moriarty told Landline.

A number of vaccines for FMD already exist but none have been permitted for use in Australia because they contain the live virus.

Ms Moriarty described the potential mRNA vaccine as a world first.

She said it would be fast to manufacture, but th

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