"Transforming Trash: Black Soldier Flies as Sustainable Biomanufacturing Machines"
"We can feed black soldier flies directly with dirty trash," says a team at Macquarie University that’s pioneering the use of insects to revolutionize waste management. Their goal? To turn ordinary, dangerous, or contaminated garbage into high-value products with the help of these industrious insects.
Black soldier flies are proving increasingly valuable in waste processing. Known for their voracious appetite for organic waste, such as household food scraps, their larvae consume large quantities and excrete highly nutritious fertilizer. Once they reach a sufficient size, they can be harvested, dried, and ground into a fine powder that serves as a rich source of protein and fat for animal feed.
While their diet might seem grim, it’s a more environmentally friendly alternative to the methane emissions produced by decomposing waste in landfills.
Now, synthetic biology experts at Macquarie University propose an innovative twist: with genetic engineering, black soldier flies could be used as bio-manufacturing plants. By expanding their diet to include lower-grade municipal biosolids from sewage treatment plants and slaughterhouse waste, these flies could produce a range of high-value chemicals.
"Insects will be the next frontier for synthetic biology applications," says Dr. Maciej Maselko, senior author of a new study. "We can feed black soldier flies straight, dirty trash, chopped into smaller pieces. They’ll process it faster than microbes, creating valuable outputs."
The engineered flies could produce industrial enzymes for various industries, specialized lipids for biofuels and lubricants, and enhanced animal feeds with improved nutrient ratios. Even their waste, known as ‘frass,’ could be enhanced to produce pollutant-free fertilizer. Dr. Kate Tepper, lead author and synthetic biologist, notes that these flies could also clean up chemical contaminants, turning their frass into safe fertilizer and preventing pollutants from entering food supply chains.
Moreover, the researchers envision genetically modified flies that could consume and process toxic wastes, such as heavy metals and PFAS “forever plastics,” potentially bioremediating contaminated soils and waste.
The potential here is significant, offering a path to reduce greenhouse gases while managing waste and creating valuable products. "For a sustainable circular economy, the economics must work," emphasizes Dr. Tepper. "Economic incentives will drive the adoption of these technologies."
The Macquarie University team has already launched a company, Entozyme, to commercialize their engineered insect biomanufacturing technologies. The concept is promising, and it will be exciting to see how these technologies evolve and where they find their greatest impact.
