MSU co-leading new $2.2M NSF-funded Middle for Environmental Sustainability via Insect Farming

Contact: Sarah Nicholas

Heather Jordan (Photo by Megan Bean)

STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Mississippi State University – leads a US $ 2.2 million National Science Foundation-funded initiative to research the uses of insects as food and beverages, in collaboration with two other US universities and more than 30 industry partners Agricultural feed in response to overpopulation, climate change and a shrinking food supply.

The Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming – headed at MSU by Heather R. Jordan, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences – is funded by the NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) to work with business to to advance the use of insects as a food source for animals and humans.

Jordan acts as site director of MSU, supported by Jonas King, Co-PI for the site and assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology.

“Our goal with the center is to connect universities with entrepreneurs in order to achieve global solutions for our growing population while at the same time conserving natural resources,” said Jordan. “The center will serve as a platform for multidisciplinary discovery and translational research related to insect breeding. Through these partnerships, new knowledge and technologies will fill critical scientific and industrial gaps that will drive innovation in this fast-growing agricultural sector. “

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, traditional agriculture is expected to be around 40 percent below the global food supply by 2050.

Jordan and her cohorts believe that insect use in agriculture has the potential to reduce or eliminate organic waste, as the insects can convert agricultural by-products into valuable protein, providing a practical, economical, and sustainable way to produce high quality Showing protein. The insect’s potential to dispose of agricultural waste also addresses issues of climate change, environmental sustainability, socio-economic development and agriculture.

Jonas King (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

“Insects are one of nature’s recycle recyclers,” said Jordan. “We can use this power of insects, along with friendly microbes, to turn food waste and other types of organic waste into an economic opportunity. This will not only offer a sustainable solution for food security and waste management, but will also stimulate the bioeconomy and support rural economic development. “

The US, European Union, and other countries have approved the use of certain insect proteins in foods such as black soldier fly for animals and crickets and mealworms for humans.

Jordan said the MSU site will study insect microbiomes to optimize and evaluate their nutritional benefits and waste conversion by conducting probiotic supplementation experiments.

“MSU will also work with the other sites to integrate research focusing on genetics, insect biology, and engineering and feeding trials,” said Jordan.

MSU works with researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Texas A&M University, and works with 34 companies in the United States and abroad, including major suppliers such as Mars, Inc. and Tyson Foods, Inc. as Insect Breeding Pioneers, Aspire Food Group, Protix and Beta Hatch Inc.

Lead researchers at IUPUI are Christine Picard and Yunlong Liu. Other partners are Jeffery Tomberlin and Del Gatlin from Texas A&M.

As the NSF Top 100 Research University for nearly two decades, MSU has seen research and development spending spike for six consecutive years. The MSU also carries the Carnegie Foundation’s Very High Research Activity and the Association of Public and Land Grants Universities’ Innovation and Economic Prosperity University for its work in promoting engagement and economic well-being. The MSU is among the top 15 nationwide in both agricultural and social sciences.

As part of the MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences, more information about the Department of Biological Sciences can be found at www.biology.msstate.edu.

MSU is the premier university in Mississippi, available online at www.msstate.edu.