Publication
Title
Microbial community dynamics during rearing of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) and impact on exploitation potential
Author
Abstract
The need to increase sustainability in agriculture, to ensure food security for the future generations, is leading to the emergence of industrial rearing facilities for insects. One promising species being industrially reared as an alternative protein source for animal feed and as a raw material for the chemical industry is the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). However, scientific knowledge toward the optimization of the productivity for this insect is scarce. One knowledge gap concerns the impact of the microbial community associated with H. illucens on the performance and health of this insect. In this review, the first steps in the characterization of the microbiota in H. illucens and the analysis of substrate-dependent dynamics in its composition are summarized and discussed. Furthermore, this review zooms in on the interactions between microorganisms and the insect during H. illucens development. Finally, attention is paid to how the microbiome research can lead to alternative valorization strategies for H. illucens, such as (i) the manipulation of the microbiota to optimize insect biomass production and (ii) the exploitation of the H. illucens-microbiota interplay for the discovery of new enzymes and novel antimicrobial strategies based on H. illucens immunity using either the whole organism or its molecules. The next decade promises to be extremely interesting for this research field and will see an emergence of the microbiological optimization of H. illucens as a sustainable insect for industrial rearing and the exploitation of its microbiome for novel biotechnological applications.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Applied and environmental microbiology. - Baltimore, Md
Publication
Washington : Amer soc microbiology , 2018
ISSN
0099-2240
DOI
10.1128/AEM.02722-17
Volume/pages
84 :9 (2018) , 17 p.
Article Reference
UNSP e02722-17
ISI
000430339900019
Pubmed ID
29475866
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.05.2018
Last edited 09.10.2023
To cite this reference