Genome_sequencing_of_Black_Soldier_Fly

Hermetia illucens (Stratomyidae, Diptera), commonly referred to as the black soldier fly ('BSF'), represents a novel class of biological catalyst. By feeding on organic waste biomass, such as food, agricultural and manure wastes, BSF larvae are capable of converting waste biomass into a sustainable & renewable source of sought-after nutrients – BSF larvae are rich in lipids and proteins, and BSF larvae-derived meals are effective feedstuffs for a range of commonly farmed livestock species ranging from poultry to farmed fish. It is currently legal to feed pre-customer waste-fed BSF larvae to farmed fish across the UK & Europe [Ref 1], a rapidly developing market for a growing insect farming private sector across Europe. However, there is great potential for this market to expand enormously if approval is gained for use as foodstuff for a wider range of farm animals. Hermetia illucens is a biological organism, with all its industrial performance being ultimately a product of the interaction between its genetics & the environment. The 'environment' has been extensively addressed by industrial insect farmers such as Entomics, and is largely a question of cost-effective automation engineering. However, the genome of Hermetia illucens remains virtually unexplored and there is therefore huge potential for improvement of the efficiency of transformation and optimisation of the final product through genetic engineering of the BSF.