MSU researchers research bugs to assist globally enhance human diets

LANSING, me. (WLNS) – The world population expects an increase over time. This means that our food production and the health of our livestock should correlate with population growth in order to enable healthier diets for people around the world.

Dr. Mark Benbow of Michigan State University is an associate professor in the Department of Entomology. He is currently working with a team of researchers overseas and in Michigan to create a healthier world by cleaning up animal diets. They are researching the use of black soldier flies to add protein to their diet. Then feed these insects to farm animals where humans could eventually eat the animals and improve their diet over time.

“We are evaluating the black soldier fly and how it can mainly use organics and waste from markets or restaurants that are left over,” explained Dr. Benbow. “Essentially, they are using them as feed and converting them into their own body mass.” These larvae are then dried … Sometimes they are fed to chickens alive. “

The research is at an early stage where they are breeding the insects, studying their lifespan and diet.

The Michigan State University research team has partnered with African researchers as part of their Alliance for African Partnership, where they have also worked with the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi and the University of Malawi, College of Medicine.

“In the state of Michigan, we evaluate what kind of organic forces are best and make the best product for black soldier flies,” said Dr. Mark Benbow Africa makes recommendations. ”

Dr. Jennifer L. Pechal has worked on previous projects in Africa for the past five years. Dr. Pechal is also part of the research team where the first step is to collect the black soldier flies. Dr. Pechal says the best way is to bring corrosive material into a hot environment.

“These flies really thrive in environments that humans find repulsive, so they can be foul microbially related and stink any type of gross habitat,” said Dr. Pechal.

The hot environment can be feces or decompose kitchen waste. Dr. Pechal says this is where the flies usually lay their eggs. She says that once that step is taken, researchers can set up a black soldier fly colony to raise and feed their livestock.

According to the Department of Entomology at MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, once larvae leave their food resources, they can be harvested, dried and ground for use as feedstock for livestock, poultry and aquaculture.

“We grow them in a growth chamber so we can control all the parameters of the environment,” exclaimed Dr. Pechal out, “like heat, moisture and time.”

Michigan State University researchers are harvesting the black soldiers’ colonies of flies in Michigan and overseas. They work together as a team and study how the insect is developing. Researchers say in the long run the next step would be to study the animal that they eat.

Dr. Benbow and Dr. Pechal has also indicated that black soldier flies have been studied in laboratories that have been shown to reduce bacteria that could cause other problems in an animal’s immune system, such as: B. E-Coli and Salmonella.