Phase II Amount
$1,735,266
With 10 billion people expected on the planet by 2050, serious innovations are needed to meet the expected 50% increase in demand for protein. Beta Hatch is industrializing the production of insects for agriculture, pioneering our first crop, the yellow mealworm as an animal feed ingredient.. In Phase 1 we developed novel feed formulations to bring down the costs of insect production, enhance the nutritional value of final products, and do a preliminary test of their mycotoxin degradation.In this Phase 2 work, we are proposing 5 objectives which will commercialize insects as digestive powerhouses. In Part 1, we will expand our development of affordable mycotoxin-contaminated feedstocks. We will create probiotic blends that can inoculate insects to enhance their digestive abilities. In Part 2, we will commercialize our breeding program to breed better insects. We will explore genomic manipulations for targeted trait expression. And finally, we will develop hormone-mimicking trays that can extend the larval life stage and enhance the feeding time. Together, these innovations will help reduce our costs of production, and create a platform for developing new feeds and new breeds for insects in our food system.
