I’m happy to announce that our latest study has just been published in Frontiers of Microbiology.Â
In this study, we investigate the mechanisms behind the documented reduction of selected pathogenic microorganisms—primarily the zoonotic bacteria Salmonella spp. – during black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) bioconversion. To further understand the inactivation dynamics, we examined the impact of frass recirculation, hypothesizing that it may influence outcomes due to the presence of bioactive compounds.
We confirm that the pathogen reduction observed in small-scale laboratory setups also holds true in a system designed to mimic industrial conditions. It even seem to be somewhat more effective in largescale setting. Our results show that BSFL-driven pathogen inactivation is robust across scales, supporting the technology’s potential to improve hygiene in large-scale waste management. While frass recirculation significantly increased larval yield, it did not have any additional effect on hygiene outcomes. It is clear that larval activity plays a central role in pathogen reduction, but the exact mechanisms – whether biological, chemical, or both – remain to be clarified.  We stress that BSFL bioconversion alone should not be considered a sanitization step, as not all pathogenic microorganisms are inactivated, even though it improves the hygienic status.
If you interested to find out more, full article can be downloaded from here.
This study adds another piece to the puzzle and takes us a step closer to safe, circular insect-based waste treatment. We look forward to continued research into the fascinating interplay between larvae, microbes and waste.