Student Poster Display
Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology
Student
Kalini Jankee
University of Maine
Hampden, Maine
Julia Coombs
University of Maine
Orono, Maine
Matthew A. Moyet (he/him/his)
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Maine
Orono, Maine
Edward Bernard
University of Maine
Orono, Maine
Andrei Alyokhin
Professor
University of Maine
Orono, Maine
Black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens, is an increasingly popular choice for biological conversion of organic wastes into biomass that can be used for animal feeds. Possible contamination of bioconversion facilities by pathogenic bacteria is a food safety concern. Our study explored the potential of black soldier flies to retain an important human pathogen Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from larvae to adult stages. The larvae are grown in a decaying potato substrate with and without MRSA and then allowed to pupate either in the original substrates or in sterile sawdust. Emerging adults and their substrates will be tested for bacteria using culturomics and DNA sequencing. The findings will help to determine if black soldier flies can act as vectors for MRSA, with implications for their use in waste management and animal feed production. The results will contribute to understanding the risks of pathogen transmission through insect-based recycling systems.