ABSTRACT
All plant and animal kingdom organisms use highly connected biochemical networks to facilitate sustaining, proliferation, and growth functions. While the biochemical network details are well known, the understanding of the intense regulation principles is still limited. We chose to investigate the Hermetia illucens fly at the larval stage because this stage is a crucial period for the successful accumulation and allocation of resources for the subsequent organism's developmental stages. We combined iterative wet lab experiments and innovative metabolic modeling design approaches to simulate and explain the H. illucens larval stage resource allocation processes and biotechnology potential. We performed time-based growth and high-value chemical compound accumulation wet lab chemical analysis experiments on larvae and the Gainesville diet composition. We built and validated the first H. illucens medium-size, stoichiometric metabolic model to predict the effects of diet-based alterations on fatty acid allocation potential. Using optimization methods such as flux balance and flux variability analysis on the novel insect metabolic model, we predicted that doubled essential amino acid consumption increased the growth rate by 32%, but pure glucose consumption had no positive impact on growth. In the case of doubled pure valine consumption, the model predicted a 2% higher growth rate. In this study, we describe a new framework for researching the impact of dietary alterations on the metabolism of multi-cellular organisms at different developmental stages for improved, sustainable, and directed high-value chemicals.
ABSTRACT
The application of black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens based technology to process organic wastes presents a practical option for organic waste management by producing feed materials (protein, fat), biodiesel, chitin and biofertilizer. Therefore, BSF organic wastes recycling is a sustainable and cost-effective process that promotes resource recovery, and generates valuable products, thereby creating new economic opportunities for the industrial sector and entrepreneurs. Specifically, we discussed the significance of BSF larvae (BSFL) in the recycling of biowaste. Despite the fact that BSFL may consume a variety of wastes materials, whereas, certain lignocellulosic wastes, such as dairy manure, are deficient in nutrients, which might slow BSFL development. The nutritional value of larval feeding substrates may be improved by mixing in nutrient-rich substrates like chicken manure or soybean curd residue, for instance. Similarly, microbial fermentation may be used to digest lignocellulosic waste, releasing nutrients that are needed for the BSFL. In this mini-review, a thorough discussion has been conducted on the various waste biodegraded by the BSFL, their co-digestion and microbial fermentation of BSFL substrate, as well as the prospective applications and safety of the possible by-products that may be generated at the completion of the treatment process. Furthermore, this study examines the present gaps and challenges on the direction to the efficient application of BSF for waste management and the commercialization of its by-products.