ENTOBIOTATurning Black into Golden Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens):
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(FWO-SBO from 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2022). Black Soldier Fly larvae (BSFL) are larvae from the insect the black soldier fly. They are currently being reared on a global industrial scale as a feed ingredient. They can be reared on a wide range of side and waste streams from food industry and agriculture, being converters of these streams into valuable biomass. Given the struggle of our food system to sustainably meet the protein demands of the growing world population, BSFL rearing offers an innovative, bio-based alternative contributing to a circular economy.
As insect production is a novel branch of livestock production, it is up to (academic) researchers to gather the same level of in-depth knowledge that is available for other farm animals on production safety and optimization. For example, the impact of the chemical and microbial composition of the feed on the zootechnical performance and on the microbial safety of BSFL is virtually unknown. Furthermore, preliminary research points towards high value applications for other industrial sectors, such as the pharma and waste treatment sector, that could generate more profit for the insect production sector.
This project aims to generate more fundamental knowledge that could support the insect sector, legislation and the co-emerging food value chain to remove legislative and technical hurdles in rearing and valorisation. More specifically, we will explore the hardly investigated interactions between the BSFL, their substrate and their gut microbiota. Such interactions are expected to depend on the substrate and affect (i) the growth of the larvae, (ii) their microbial safety, and (iii) their chemical safety. The overall goal of this project is to define and characterize a set of microorganisms that can be used to manipulate the gut microbiota of BSFL in order to boost its performance in each of the three aforementioned domains and increase their economic value.
The project is coordinated by KU Leuven, Lab4Food. Partners are UAntwerp, Thomas More Kempen and Inagro. The project is guided by a user group of companies (insect rearers, feed producers, pharmaceutical companies,...) and institutes.
For more information contact sabine.vanmiert@thomasmore.be or lotte.frooninckx@thomasmore.be
As insect production is a novel branch of livestock production, it is up to (academic) researchers to gather the same level of in-depth knowledge that is available for other farm animals on production safety and optimization. For example, the impact of the chemical and microbial composition of the feed on the zootechnical performance and on the microbial safety of BSFL is virtually unknown. Furthermore, preliminary research points towards high value applications for other industrial sectors, such as the pharma and waste treatment sector, that could generate more profit for the insect production sector.
This project aims to generate more fundamental knowledge that could support the insect sector, legislation and the co-emerging food value chain to remove legislative and technical hurdles in rearing and valorisation. More specifically, we will explore the hardly investigated interactions between the BSFL, their substrate and their gut microbiota. Such interactions are expected to depend on the substrate and affect (i) the growth of the larvae, (ii) their microbial safety, and (iii) their chemical safety. The overall goal of this project is to define and characterize a set of microorganisms that can be used to manipulate the gut microbiota of BSFL in order to boost its performance in each of the three aforementioned domains and increase their economic value.
The project is coordinated by KU Leuven, Lab4Food. Partners are UAntwerp, Thomas More Kempen and Inagro. The project is guided by a user group of companies (insect rearers, feed producers, pharmaceutical companies,...) and institutes.
For more information contact sabine.vanmiert@thomasmore.be or lotte.frooninckx@thomasmore.be
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