Name:
Comprehensive valorisation of the shore fly Ephydra macellaria for sustainable aquaculture: nutritional supplement, microbiome and antimicrobial peptides

Developed by:
INBIOALMED, S.L.

Countrie(s) involved:
SPAIN

Funding sources:
Own funding

Specific organism(s) focused:
Arthrospira platensis is a species of cyanobacteria frequently used as a nutritional supplement in aquaculture feed. It is a source of a wide variety of high-value biomolecules such as fatty acids, pigments, essential amino acids, peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids and polysaccharides.
Shore flies of the genus Ephydra are usually very abundant in marshes, saline pools and alkaline lakes, enduring adverse environmental conditions typical of these ecosystems. They also have an important presence in outdoor spirulina facilities, where flies find optimal temperature and humidity conditions, along with a constant food source such as spirulina, leading to massive developments in their populations. Flies resist the high saline concentrations and alkaline pH of spirulina cultivation ponds due to their internal regulatory mechanisms. The larvae are submerged most of the time, but they breathe air through a respiratory siphon, and in their pupal phase they float on the surface. The growth and massive production of larvae and pupae of this insect affects the cultivation of spirulina, generating numerous inconveniences, which is why it is necessary to periodically remove them from the culture ponds.
The species Ephydra macellaria is a species registered in the Palearctic and Afrotropical Regions and proliferates on spirulina facilities in south eastern Spain. Flies (larvae and adults) feed on the microbial communities of the spirulina ponds where they inhabit. The pupae of this insect can be considered as a by-product, that could be used as an alternative and sustainable source of proteins, fats and chitin for use in fish feed, also taking advantage of its characteristics as a prebiotic agent and immunostimulating properties.
At the same time, this insect could be used to investigate its intestinal microbiota and characterize symbiotic microorganisms with probiotic capabilities that could also have relevance in sustainable aquaculture.
On the other hand, the ability of the insect to produce antimicrobial peptides can be explored by transcriptomic techniques. Insects produce many more antimicrobial peptides compared to other taxonomic groups. Therefore, insects are an important resource for understanding the basic biology of the immune system and for searching for new peptides to be used for drug discovery and antibiotic replacement and other industrial applications. The characterization of antimicrobial peptides from the shore fly represents an opportunity to take advantage of the capacities of the immune system of an insect that until now has represented a bother for the production of spirulina

Specific organism(s) focused:
Yes

Specific organism(s) focused:
Archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria; Microalgae; Metazoa (tunicates, molluscs, sponges, Cnidaria, etc.)

Serctor(s) involved:
Yes

Serctor(s) involved:
Aquaculture and fisheries technologies; Waste valorization; Circular economy

TRL:
TRL 1-3

Helix sector/involvement:
Research performing organizations and academia; SMENo