A team of scientists from the Institute of Biological and Technological Research of the Faculty of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences of the National University of Córdoba (IIByT, Conicet-UNC) is promoting an innovative project for the degradation of waste from the productive sector using Hermetia illucens larvae, known as the “black soldier fly.”
These larvae have the ability to digest and transform organic waste into oils and fats.
Waste degradation and conversion into valuable products
With this biotechnology, experts aim to solve waste management problems for large generators, such as agri-food companies and municipalities. Additionally, this process allows for obtaining products with commercial value, aligning with the Circular Economy trends.
Agustín Luna, a Conicet researcher, explains that waste treatment could generate more income than the original products.
The larvae offer a clean and profitable treatment, aligned with the objectives of UN Sustainable Development and the revaluation of waste to produce biofuels. The fly consumes the waste and increases its weight by 10,000 times in just 15 days, transforming organic matter into larvae with high nutritional value and organic fertilizer for productive soils.
Innovation and collaboration in waste management
The team also includes Raúl Marín and doctoral fellow Romina Picco. Their technical advice is based on a rigorous experimental protocol, which includes the adaptation of organic waste, monitoring larval growth, and biomass analysis. The project seeks collaborations from the private sector to develop the technology and finance new lines of research, such as fertilizers and larvae.
The scientists have compared larval growth in different wastes, finding that larvae growing in olive pomace have 60% fat, adding value to products such as biofuels and animal nutrition. Currently, they are evaluating jojoba oil extrudate to determine its viability as larval food.
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