Science 100
Plastic-eating insects
Interview with Nathalie Berenzina, Norbite founder Hi Nathalie, tell us how and when your interest in edible insects began Hi Lorenzo, after my PhD I started to work in the industrial biotechnology field, mainly focused on the production of bioplastics. After few years within the field, I got the conviction that we were using microorganisms […]
Efsa: green light for mealworms
Today is a great day! Efsa released the first positive opinion on the safety of mealworms as human food. Read the full text here: Efsa opinion on Yellow Mealworms
Insects to fight mycotoxins
If we want to describe our condition on Earth, we can say that we are “fugitives” who, as a result of the enormous population growth, no longer know where to flee – Danilo Mainardi This is the warning found on the last pages of “L’etologia caso per caso”, in which the author Danilo Mainardi compares […]
Ilaria Marini joined our team
My name is Ilaria Marini, I’m twenty-six years old and I recently graduated with a master degree in Veterinary Biotechnology from the University of Milan. Thanks to a series of seminars about the use of insects as animal feed that I had the pleasure to attend during my studies, I developed a deep interest in […]
The mealworms genome
The yellow mealworm, the larval stage of the darkling beetle Tenebrio molitor, shows great promise as an alternative source of animal protein. The the study presents the 312 Mb draft genome assembled using 10x Genomics linked-read technology to inform research efforts and to provide resources to optimise yellow mealworm for mass production and consumption. The genome […]
Mouthparts in BSFL
The larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens are increasingly being used for waste management purposes given their ability to grow on a wide range of organic decaying materials. Although significant efforts have been spent to improve the mass rearing of BSF larvae on specific substrates and their bioconversion capability, little is known […]
BSF rearing substrates
In animals, the regulation of food intake and post-ingestion mechanisms are two important and strategic aspects to ensure optimal performance and healthy conditions. An italian study addresses this issue by investigating how the BSF larval midgut adapts to diets with different nutrient content. Downoload the study here: Bonelli et al., 2020 – Black soldier fly Larvae […]
