Rhodococcus Food Supplement Methodology for Black Soldier Fly Growth and Development
Description:
Overview of Technology
10% Rhodoccus supplement which can be live, heat-killed, or lyophilized is added to black soldier fly larvae diet for their digestion daily.
Background
Microbes contribute largely to the fatty acids used as energy reserves in insect cells, serving to aid in vitamin absorption. Many bacterial species possess characteristic fatty acid profiles and abundances.
Oleaginous microbes are defined as species with oil contents in excess of 20% biomass weight.
Description of Technology
The conducted experiment was to see the results of Black Soldier Fly larvae fed diet alone versus a diet with 10% autoclaved, lyophilized Rhodococcus or R. opacus supplementation. This invention disclosed that larval weight was significantly higher with bacterial supplementation. Data in this research also showed that larvae with the bacterial supplement metabolized more food than larvae fed without supplement. Bacterial supplementation allows faster larval development. These results provide a foundation of development for a self-sustaining system for protein and oil production that would promote advances in U.S agriculture and help meet the dietary and energy requirements of a growing population.
Stage of Development
This invention requires more experiments to optimize methods of bacterial supplementation by using less supplementation. This invention is currently ongoing in their efforts to determine methods and impact of bacterial supplementation with different species of lyophilized/dead oleaginous bacteria/yeast and would benefit from further developmental aid.
Benefits
- Metabolizes food more efficiently
- Promotes advances in agriculture
- Helps meet dietary and energy requirements of population
- Bacterial supplementation increases larvae growth
- Speeds up development
- Reduces amount of food needed to reach higher weights and desired growth stages for protein and oil isolation
Applications
This invention would be beneficial to animal feed organizations that are interested in using Black Soldier Fly for animal feed as protein replacement.
