Australian Scientists Create "Superflies" to Tackle Global Waste Crisis

The beginning of a revolution against global waste has been initiated by Macquarie University.

Scientists Kate Tepper and Maciej Maselko at Macquarie University. Their team hopes to have the first genetically engineered flies for use in waste facilities by the end of the year. Photograph: Jesse Taylor

Black soldier flies have been genetically modified by scientists to feed on a broader array of organic waste and convert them to useful products and the process has been made to cut methane emissions.

The study done by the team of researchers is published in Communications Biology and shows how synthetic biology can transform waste disposal.

It is noteworthy that the black soldier flies are already hyperphagic about organic material, and their eating capacity has been further boosted through genetic engineering.

These ‘superflies’ can now metabolize a wider variety of waste such as kitchen scraps and industrial waste.

In the research paper, the authors describe the idea of applying synthetic biology to create black soldier flies (BSF) for biomanufacturing. This can be a new sustainable biomanufacturing process to convert a much wider range of organic waste feedstocks into higher value animal diets, a wide range of valuable biomolecules such as industrial enzymes and lipids, and superior fertilizer.

BSF is already used to synthesize a small number of products like animal feed and fertilizer, but the capability of synthesizing a broad variety of products is restricted.

Thus, based on the concept of synthetic biology, BSF could be further engineered into a new generation of sustainable biomanufacturing systems to solve the world’s problem of organic waste disposal and promote the circular economy.

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The engineered flies lay larvae which are useful in generating substances including oils that can be used in the manufacturing of lubricants and biofuels. This process of converting waste into high-value products is a major move toward the circular economy.

Also, since the superflies collect organic waste and prevent it from decomposing in landfills, they mitigate the release of methane which is a potent greenhouse gas.

Another innovation that Dr. Kate Tepper, the lead researcher of the project, highlighted as crucial:

"Insects represent the next frontier in synthetic biology for waste management challenges that microbes alone cannot address," she said.

The team's work has also led to the establishment of a spin-off company, EntoZyme, dedicated to commercializing this technology

This discovery opens up the possibility of applying nature-based solutions to some of the most challenging environmental problems.

In the context of rising waste production and climate change, the superflies present a new direction for the world’s development.