A5017461543- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Entomological Studies and Ecology
- Hemiptera Insect Studies
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Protein Hydrolysis and Bioactive Peptides
- Diptera species taxonomy and behavior
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Beetle Biology and Toxicology Studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
University of Cambridge
2020-2025
Swansea University
2020
The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is the most promising insect candidate for nutrient-recycling through bioconversion of organic waste into biomass, thereby improving sustainability protein supplies animal feed and facilitating transition to a circular economy. Contrary conventional livestock, genetic resources farmed insects remain poorly characterised. We present first comprehensive population characterisation H. illucens. Based on 15 novel microsatellite markers, we genotyped...
Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is an increasingly important species for bioconversion of organic material into animal feed. We generated a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly BSF using Pacific Bioscience, 10X Genomics linked read and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing technology. Scaffolding final with Hi-C data produced highly contiguous 1.01 Gb 99.75% scaffolds assembled pseudochromosomes representing seven...
Abstract Background The world faces a major infectious disease challenge. Interest in the discovery, design, or development of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as an alternative approach for treatment bacterial infections has increased. Insects are good source AMPs which main effector molecules their innate immune system. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) being developed large-scale rearing food sustainability, waste reduction and sustainable animal fish feed. Bioinformatic studies have suggested...
The entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) Metarhizium brunneum occupies the same ecological niche as nematodes (EPN), with both competing for insects a food source in rhizosphere. Interactions between these biocontrol agents can be antagonistic or synergistic. To better understand interactions, this study focussed on investigating effect of M. volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanone, EPN survival behaviour. These VOCs proved to highly toxic infective juveniles (IJs)...
Polygenic traits are expected to show high genetic redundancy and therefore low repeatability in the genomic response selection. We tested this prediction by selecting for large body size black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). Over three replicate experiments selected size, we found a strong repeatable phenotypic response, with mean 15% increase size. Selected lines also increased larval growth rate (+19%) average protein content (+14%), suggesting that selection on does not result...
Abstract The black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens L., Diptera: Stratiomyidae) has emerged as a key species in the sustainable protein industry. Whilst genetic variation performance been suggested, extent of heritability and genotype‐by‐environment (G × E) interactions this remains relatively unexplored. This study used standardised split‐brood design linear mixed effect models to evaluate effects at between‐ within‐strain levels across diets environments. In first experiment, three strains...
ABSTRACT Background Diploid genome assembly is typically impeded by heterozygosity because it introduces errors when haplotypes are collapsed into a consensus sequence. Trio binning offers an innovative solution that exploits for assembly. Short, parental reads used to assign origin long from their F1 offspring before assembly, enabling complete haplotype resolution. could therefore provide effective strategy assembling highly heterozygous genomes, which traditionally problematic, such as...
Abstract The black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ) is the prime species in developing global industry of insects as food and feed, but genetic basis its domestication has not been studied. We obtained whole genome sequences for 54 individuals from both wild captive populations. identified two lineages at least 3 million years divergent, revealing cryptic diversity within complex. Our study indicates that most common populations used commercial academic applications are primarily derived...
Abstract Background Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is an increasingly important mass reared entomological resource for bioconversion of organic material into animal feed. Results We generated a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly BSF using Pacific Bioscience, 10X Genomics linked read and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing technology. Scaffolding final with Hi-C data produced highly contiguous 1.01 Gb 99.75%...
ABSTRACT Background Diploid genome assembly is typically impeded by heterozygosity, as it introduces errors when haplotypes are collapsed into a consensus sequence. Trio binning offers an innovative solution which exploits heterozygosity for assembly. Short, parental reads used to assign origin long from their F1 offspring before assembly, enabling complete haplotype resolution. could therefore provide effective strategy assembling highly heterozygous genomes traditionally problematic, such...
The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is the most promising insect candidate for nutrient-recycling through bioconversion of organic waste into biomass, thereby improving sustainability protein supplies animal feed and facilitating transition to a circular economy. Contrary conventional livestock, genetic resources farmed insects remain poorly characterised. We present first comprehensive population characterisation H. illucens. Based on 15 novel microsatellite markers, we genotyped...