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Simple Summary: Simple Summary: We attempted to establish a strategy for environmentally friendly treatment and resource utilization of residual organic sludge generated from bioenergy facilities (BF-rOS) using Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly) larvae (BSFL). Mixing BF-rOS with food waste (FW) was necessary for its environmentally friendly treatment and utilization. Furthermore, BSFL reared with the BF-rOS/FW mixture could be used as ingredients in animal feed. Therefore, this study demonstrates that the preparation of BF-rOS/FW mixtures is an effective strategy for the environmentally friendly treatment and resource utilization of BF-rOS using BSFL. Residual organic sludge generated from bioenergy facilities (BF-rOS) is often disposed instead of recycled, thus contributing to further environmental pollution. This study explored the resource utilization of BF-rOS using Hermetia illucens larvae (BSFL). When BF-rOS was fed to BSFL for two weeks, the dry weight per individual BSFL was approximately 15% of that of BSFL that were fed food waste (FW). However, the dry weight increased by approximately two-fold in BSFL that were fed effective microorganism (EM)-supplemented BF-rOS containing 60% moisture. However, under both conditions, the BSFL did not mature into pupae. In contrast, the highest dry weight per BSFL was observed with the BF-rOS/FW (50%:50%) mixture, regardless of EM supplementation. Furthermore, the highest bioconversion rate was observed when the BSFL were fed the BF-rOS/FW (50%:50%) mixture, and the frass produced by the BSFL contained fertilizer-appropriate components. In addition, the nutritional components of the BSFL exhibited a nutrient profile suitable for animal feed, except for those fed BF-rOS only. In conclusion, this investigation demonstrates that BF-rOS should be recycled for fertilizer production by mixing it with FW as a BSFL feed, which generates the valuable insect biomass as potential nutrition for animal feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aim of this study was to develop feed using organic waste to increase the lipid content of the super mealworm Zophobas morio larvae (ZML). Feed prepared from fermented food waste (FFW) using three microorganism species was found to be suitable for increasing the lipid content of ZML. These results revealed that feed made from FFW is an environmentally friendly and economical feed suitable for breeding ZML for biodiesel production. Super mealworm Zophobas morio (Coleoptera: Tenbrionidea) larvae (ZML) are being investigated as potential candidates for biodiesel production. Several studies have revealed that the crude fat content of ZML can be enhanced by increasing the feed consumed. We aimed to develop an optimized ZML feed that enhances the lipid gain using 10 different ingredients. The results revealed that the highest lipid content was observed in ZML fed food waste (FW). Furthermore, we found that the weight gain of ZML improved when fed fermented FW using three selected microorganisms (3M), Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Pediococcus acidilactici. We also analyzed the effects of preservatives on the weight gain of ZML, and the results revealed that ZML fed 5-day 3M-fermented FW (FFW) containing 0.05% sorbic acid exhibited the highest weight gain. Based on these findings, we produced solid FFW containing 0.05% sorbic acid using 5% agar and established a manufacturing process. Body composition analysis revealed that the lipid content of the ZML fed manufactured feed was higher than that of the ZML fed wheat bran. Therefore, this study suggests that solid FFW containing 0.05% sorbic acid should be used as a commercial feed for ZML breeding to enhance lipid gain, making it an economical substrate for raw biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innate immune response in Drosophila involves the inducible expression of antimicrobial peptide genes mediated by the Toll and IMD signaling pathways. Dorsal and DIF act downstream of Toll, whereas Relish acts downstream of IMD to regulate target gene expression. Dorsal, DIF, and Relish are NF-[kappa]B-related transcription factors and function as obligate dimers, but it is not clear how the various dimer combinations contribute to the innate immune response. We systematically examined the dimerization tendency of these proteins through the use of transgenic assays. The results show that all combinations of homo- and heterodimers are formed, but with varying degrees of efficiency. The formation of the DIF-Relish heterodimer is particularly interesting because it may mediate signaling for the seemingly independent Toll and IMD pathways. By incorporating a flexible peptide linker, we specifically tested the functions of the DIF^Relish (a ^ sign represents the peptide linker) linked heterodimer. Our results demonstrate that the linked heterodimer can activate target genes of both the Toll and IMD pathways. The DIF and Relish complex is detectable in whole animal extracts, suggesting that this heterodimer may function in vivo to increase the spectrum and level of antimicrobial peptide production in response to different infections. IMD | innate immunity | Toll doi/ 10.1073/pnas.1009473107