Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) farming is emerging as a sustainable and innovative solution for converting organic waste into high-value food ingredients for livestock and human consumption. We aim to develop an insect biorefinery concept to produce bioactive compounds for human use, in conjunction with insect-derived protein for livestock feed.
We will optimise insect diet and rearing practices and use selective breeding to maximise bioactive yield and efficacy. This research will be guided using chemical profiling and gene expression techniques to screen and select optimal rearing conditions and genetic lines.
This 3-year collaboration brings together expertise in insect breeding and rearing, biomass processing, extraction technologies, chemical characterisation, technoeconomics, and consumer insights.
This project, jointly administered by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and A*STAR, supports collaborative research in advanced biotechnology solutions for future food systems.
Funding has been awarded through the New Zealand–Singapore Catalyst: Strategic Biotech in Future Food Research Programme.
The project officially launched this quarter with two successful kick-off meetings. On 5th September, New Zealand partners gathered at Plant & Food Research in Palmerston North for a tour of the BSF pilot facility and initial task planning. A second meeting on 19th September brought together all four NZ and Singaporean partner organisations to align on ways of working and early-stage coordination. Research activities are ramping up across BSF husbandry, downstream processing, and commercialisation, with larvae circulated to project teams for extraction trials and analyical method development.
Collaborators
This collaboration brings together expertise in insect breeding and rearing, biomass processing, extraction technologies, chemical characterisation, technoeconomics, and consumer insights. We are collaborating with the New Zealand Plant and Food Research Institute group of the Bioeconomy Science Institute, NE Tech, National University of Singapore and A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation.
New Zealand team
Bioeconomy Science Institute - Scion Group
Dr. Jamie Bridson (NZ principal investigator, Project lead)
Dr. Stefan Hill (Key researcher)
Dr. Ilena Isak (Key researcher)
Kim Murrell (Project delivery manager)
Bioeconomy Science Institute - Plant & Food Research Group
Dr Marian McKenzie (Key researcher)
Dr Adriana Najar-Rodriguez (Co-principal investigator)
Dr Denise Conroy
Abby Albright (Business development manager)
NE Tech
Ron Park (Co-principal investigator)
Contact
Programme Lead: Jamie Bridson, Team Lead - Sustainable Chemistry