Transgenic Black Soldier Flies for Sustainable, Improved Nutrition

We propose to continue our project generating transgenic insect with improved nutrition for humans and livestock, building on the milestones we have reached and will continue to develop in phase I. We have already demonstrated insertion of exogenous reporter DNA into the insect, and continue to develop genetic engineering tools and techniques. We have expressed the biosynthetic pathway of interest in insect cell culture, resulting in accumulation of the target nutrient. With this groundwork already in place, we will engineer this biosynthetic pathway into the target insect genome. The primary deliverables for Phase II will be expression of the biosynthetic pathway allowing the accumulation of the key nutrient in the insect, resulting in a patented, already nutritious insect with improved nutritional profile. Essential nutrients are required for many biological processes, are found lacking in developing regions of the world, and could be part of a balanced diet during food shortages and extended military deployments. We will also develop the protocols for rearing, preservation of transgenic lines, and processing biomass into food and feedstuff, providing us the necessary protocols and experience to complete, and scale up, commercial production of a beneficial recycling insect with an improved nutritional profile.