New Technology Solves Production Bottleneck

By Adam Russell

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have developed a patented breakthrough system that marks a major step forward in insect biomanufacturing, waste reduction and sustainable protein production.

The new “Black Soldier Fly Billet” was developed in the lab of Jeffery Tomberlin, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow, professor in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology and director of the Center for Insect Biomanufacturing and Innovation. It represents the first reliable method for long-term, room-temperature storage of young black soldier fly larvae.

Tomberlin called the innovation a “game changer” for the burgeoning industry.

“For decades, one of the greatest challenges in this industry has been production stability,” Tomberlin said. “Producers have never had a dependable bank of young larvae that could be stored longer than a few days without requiring cutting-edge technology. With the billet, they finally do. You can store these units for weeks, even months, and pull them off the shelf the moment you need them.”