Flies, with their penchant for feeding on animal waste and rotting food, are unwelcome guests at any gathering. But their filthy food preferences could be put to good use for the planet, researchers say.

In a new study, scientists at Macquarie University in Australia propose that genetically engineered insects could be used to clean up organic waste while producing valuable raw materials for various industries. In particular, black soldier flies, a common fly species, could be an ideal biofactory to make products such as enzymes, lubricants, biofuels and fertilizer, the team writes in Communications Biology.

Managing the vast quantities of organic waste that humans produce is a global challenge. Today, about 40 to 70 percent of organic waste is dumped in landfills. There, it decomposes and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. “The landfilling of organic waste creates about five per cent of annual global greenhouse gas,” said lead author Kate Tepper in a press release.

There are efforts in some countries to put human waste to good use. But the products typically made—such as compost, biofuels and animal feed—have limited value. Plus, say the researchers, the infrastructure needed to collect, sort, and fully utilize the waste is expensive.

Enter black soldier flies, which are found on all continents except Antarctica, and are a common resident in compost bins. The fly larvae can eat double their body weight a day. They are already used commercially to eat organic waste before being processed into animal feed.

But the Macquarie team believes genetic engineering could broaden the usefulness of the black soldier fly. The insects could be programmed to produce enzymes for animal feeds, textiles and pharmaceuticals. They could be engineered to produce fatty compounds used for biofuels and lubricants. The flies could also be engineered to break down pollutants into less toxic compounds.

The researchers say that the insects could also be engineered to be unable to fly so that they do not escape into the environment. Tepper and colleagues have launched a spin-off company, EntoZyme, to commercialize their work.

Source: Tepper, K. et al. Diverting organic waste from landfills via insect biomanufacturing using engineered black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens). Commun Biol. 2024.

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