IUCRC Phase I Texas A&M: Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF)

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This Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF) represents a first of its kind IUCRC to support broad nutritional needs that go beyond conventional protein sources currently available. At current rates of population growth, traditional agriculture will be under intense pressure to meet protein demands. Insect farming can increase the food supply for both animals and humans. In addition, sustainable and cost effective methods for remediating agricultural waste while producing high value protein is essential to the long term health of ecosystems and agriculture. Select insects can take waste, such as that produced in agro-ecosystems or urban environments, and convert it into protein and compost. Industry can utilize the knowledge created in the center to further explore the use of insect protein, with suitable regulatory approvals, as food for humans and animals. Thus, insect-farming and its innovations could represent a circular economy, which reduces land and/or water use and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Insect farming may also relieve the stress imposed on marine and agricultural resources to generate protein for food and animal feed. The Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF) will be comprised of three sites (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis [IUPUI], Texas A&M AgriLife Research [TAMU], and Mississippi State University [MSU]), with each site specializing in a specific area of research. TAMU will serve as the lead site for the center. The sites will work collaboratively to deliver industry-desired, fundamental research into the genetics/genomics of the insect systems, evaluating the heritability of traits, and determining the genetic contributions to traits, allowing for future optimization and mass production. Through this research, new knowledge and technologies will fill critical scientific and industrial gaps related to insect farming for livestock and aquaculture production as well as insect production for human consumption. Laboratory and field-based experiments will also engage interdisciplinary expertise in microbiology, engineering, chemistry, food nutrition, physiology, and biology with cutting edge technologies. TAMU will: 1) Optimize mass production of insects used for either food or feed; 2) Conduct trials using insects as feed (e.g., poultry and aquaculture); and 3) Develop strategies for maximizing quality assurance (prevention) and control (detection) of contaminants (e.g., pathogens, heavy metals, and toxins). TAMU will work with the other sites to integrate research thrusts across the three sites with IUPUI and MSU focusing on genetics and microbiology. Further, all three sites will work with strains produced by industry as well as strains developed internally as a means to optimize mass production.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.