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Insect mediated bioconversion in the circular bioeconomy: evaluation of quality, safety and environmental impact
(2024) Rossi, Giacomo
Industrially farmed insects are receiving increasing attention within the modern bioeconomy. Due to a diverse range of microorganisms living in their gut, insects are able to grow on biological waste and by-products, recover nutrients and produce new high-quality materials to be exploited within the agriculture, food, feed, medical and industrial sectors. Their high adaptability to different conditions, along with their limited production of greenhouse gasses, low use of resources, high feed conversion and valuable nutritional profile, has also suggested them as potential food and feed sources for the future. However, despite such interesting properties, legislative limitations, often led by fragmented and contradictory knowledge or lack of data, appear to be a serious limitation for their affirmation in the circular bioeconomy.
This thesis focuses on the evaluation of quality, safety and environmental impact of edible insects produced by applying circular economy concepts. Chapter 1 defines the overall background knowledge motivating the performed experiments. It offers an overview of the research gaps that form the basis for the experimental work and describes the overall structure of the thesis. A general introduction covering several aspects concerning the use of insects in the circular bioeconomy, with a specific focus on insects as waste management tool and as future food and feed is summarised in Chapter 2.
Chapter 3 represents the core of the thesis. Six experiments, carried out with the aim of answering the research questions defined in Chapter 1 and addressing the identified research gaps are presented and discussed. Specifically, section 3.1 focuses on the development of a new, non-destructive optical system for the rapid monitoring of quality changes of edible insect products. Fluorescence spectra of dry insect powders, produced by milling insects of five different species belonging to the Orthoptera order, were recorded. The 3D data were organised into an Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) and analysed through machine learning tools. Five independent fluorescence peaks, each resulting from a different class of chemical compounds, were identified. The obtained results were therefore further applied to detect the oxidation status of insect paste subjected to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing (section 3.2). Two experiments were conducted by applying HHP to insect paste at 600 MPa for 5 min. In the first experiment (experiment 2.1), three modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and normal air packaging were applied after HHP treatment and microbial load as well as lipid and protein oxidation status were monitored during 28 days of refrigerated storage. Results suggested that the combination of HHP with oxygen-free MAP allowed shelf-life extension up to 10 days when refrigeration was applied. However, HHP treatment was found to be responsible for oxidation initialisation. Therefore, the second experiment (experiment 2.2) aimed to validate such observation and test whether addition of commercial antioxidant mixtures before applying HHP could delay the oxidation process. Results showed that although antioxidants exhibited their activity differently during the storage (with the synthetic antioxidant being more active in the initial stage of the storage while the natural antioxidant being more active in a later stage), HHP alone was not responsible for any significant oxidation.
Considering the most interesting aspect of edible insects regarding waste conversion, section 3.3 investigates the possibility of using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as a tool for managing waste from aquaculture production (ASW). Two experiments, the first using fresh (daily-collected) ASW and the second applying anaerobically digested (bulk-accumulated) ASW, were therefore carried out. The first experiment (experiment 3.1) demonstrated that BSFL can conveniently convert ASW; however, the high water content of the initial material required the inclusion of other ingredients in the diet. Mixtures consisting of 75% ASW and 25% of chicken feed were found to be optimal for supporting larval growth and waste conversion. However, the amount of nutrients assimilated by the larvae was extremely low, indicating a significant loss of nutrients. High nutrients retention and consequently a low environmental impact was observed in substrate 100ASW, which was characterised by low dry matter content, resulting in feed limitation for the BSFL. These results were further confirmed in the second experiment (experiment 3.2), which showed that conditions leading to high larval growth performances were negatively correlated with the reduction of environmental impact. Furthermore, experiment 3.2 also displayed low growth ability of BSFL on bulk accumulated ASW, indicating that fresh ASW should be preferred for insect-mediated aquaculture waste conversion processes. However, although these two experiments showed low nutrient retention by BSFL reared under optimal conditions, the actual amounts of nutrients lost by the larvae in form of gas were not quantified.
Therefore, in order to accurately quantify the gas emissions from edible insects during the rearing process, a new open dynamic gas emission chamber was designed and validated for monitoring the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from edible insects on a small scale (section 3.4). Validation experiment was carried out by rearing BSFL on moistened chicken feed. Obtained results showed that BSFL produced neither CH4 nor N2O, while CO2 production strictly depended on insect growth and metabolic activity. Accordingly, CO2 emission curves closely resembled the larval growth curves, indicating that an accurate estimation of GHG emission from insects should consider the overall life cycle of the insect, from eggs to harvesting stage, including the neonate stage.
Based on the obtained results, an overall conclusion highlighting the main findings and addressing the research questions defined at the beginning of the thesis is presented in the final chapter (Chapter 4). Relevance of the overall thesis within the circular bioeconomy framework and the future steps needed to promote a full transition to the circular bioeconomy, are also illustrated in this chapter.
Prognostic value of metabolic tumor volume on [18F]FDG PET/CT in addition to the TNM classification system of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer
(2024) Brose, Alexander; Miederer, Isabelle; König, Jochem; Gkika, Eleni; Sahlmann, Jörg; Schimek-Jasch, Tanja; Schreckenberger, Mathias; Nestle, Ursula; Kappes, Jutta; Miederer, Matthias
Purpose: Staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is commonly based on [18F]FDG PET/CT, in particular to exclude distant metastases and guide local therapy approaches like resection and radiotherapy. Although it is hoped that PET/CT will increase the value of primary staging compared to conventional imaging, it is generally limited to the characterization of TNM. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the PET parameter metabolic tumor volume (MTV) above liver background uptake as a prognostic marker in lung cancer. The second aim was to investigate the possibility of incorporating MTV into the TNM classification system for disease prognosis in locally advanced NSCLC treated with chemoradiotherapy.
Methods: Retrospective evaluation of 235 patients with histologically proven, locally advanced NSCLC from the multi-centre randomized clinical PETPLAN trial and a clinical cohort from a hospital registry. The PET parameters SUVmax, SULpeak, MTV and TLG above liver background uptake were determined. Kaplan-Meier curves and stratified Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to investigate the prognostic value of PET parameters and TNM along with clinical variables. Subgroup analyses were performed to compare hazard ratios according to TNM, MTV, and the two variables combined.
Results: In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, MTV was associated with significantly worse overall survival independent of stage and other prognostic variables. In locally advanced disease stages treated with chemoradiotherapy, higher MTV was significantly associated with worse survival (median 17 vs. 32 months). Using simple cut-off values (45 ml for stage IIIa, 48 ml for stage IIIb, and 105 ml for stage IIIc), MTV was able to further predict differences in survival for stages IIIa-c. The combination of TNM and MTV staging system showed better discrimination for overall survival in locally advanced disease stages, compared to TNM alone.
Conclusion: Higher metabolic tumor volume is significantly associated with worse overall survival and combined with TNM staging, it provides more precise information about the disease prognosis in locally advanced NSCLC treated with chemoradiotherapy compared to TNM alone. As a PET parameter with volumetric information, MTV represents a useful addition to TNM.
Protocol and research program of the European registry and biobank for interstitial lung diseases (eurILDreg)
(2024) Krauss, Ekaterina; Tello, Silke; Naumann, Jennifer; Wobisch, Sandra; Ruppert, Clemens; Kuhn, Stefan; Mahavadi, Poornima; Majeed, Raphael W.; Bonniaud, Philippe; Molina-Molina, Maria; Wells, Athol; Hirani, Nik; Vancheri, Carlo; Walsh, Simon; Griese, Matthias; Crestani, Bruno; Guenther, Andreas; Borie, Raphael; Kannengiesser, Caroline; Poletti, Venerino; Behr, Juergen; Drakopanagiotakis, Fotios; Bastos, Helder; Ravaglia, Claudia; Hurley, Killian; Eils, Roland; Gut, Ivo; Haick, Hossam; Broza, Yoav Y.
Background and Aims: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), encompassing both pediatric and adult cases, present a diverse spectrum of chronic conditions with variable prognosis. Despite limited therapeutic options beyond antifibrotic drugs and immunosuppressants, accurate diagnosis is challenging, often necessitating invasive procedures that may not be feasible for certain patients. Drawn against this background, experts across pediatric and adult ILD fields have joined forces in the RARE-ILD initiative to pioneer novel non-invasive diagnostic algorithms and biomarkers. Collaborating with the RARE-ILD consortium, the eurILDreg aims to comprehensively describe different ILDs, analyze genetically defined forms across age groups, create innovative diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers, and employ artificial intelligence for data analysis.
Methods: The foundation of eurILDreg is built on a comprehensive parameter list developed and adopted by clinical experts, encompassing over 1,800 distinct parameters related to patient history, clinical examinations, diagnosis, lung function and biospecimen collection. This robust dataset is further enriched with daily assessments captured through the patientMpower app, including handheld spirometry and exercise tests, conducted on approximately 350 patients over the course of a year. This approach involves app-based daily assessments of quality of life, symptom tracking, handheld spirometry, saturation measurement, and the 1-min sit-to-stand test (1-STST). Additionally, pediatric data from the ChILD-EU registry will be integrated into the RARE-ILD Data Warehouse, with the ultimate goal of including a total of 4.000 ILD patients and over 100.000 biospecimen.
Discussion: The collaborative efforts within the consortium are poised to streamline research endeavors significantly, promising to advance patient-centered care, foster innovation, and shape the future landscape of interstitial lung disease research and healthcare practices.
Physiological phenotyping of transpiration response to vapour pressure deficit in wheat
(2024) Moritz, Anna; Eckert, Andreas; Vukasovic, Stjepan; Snowdon, Rod; Stahl, Andreas
Background: Precision phenotyping of short-term transpiration response to environmental conditions and transpiration patterns throughout wheat development enables a better understanding of specific trait compositions that lead to improved transpiration efficiency. Transpiration and related traits were evaluated in a set of 79 winter wheat lines using the custom-built “DroughtSpotter XXL” facility. The 120 l plant growth containers implemented in this phenotyping platform enable gravimetric quantification of water use in real-time under semi-controlled, yet field-like conditions across the entire crop life cycle.
Results: The resulting high-resolution data enabled identification of significant developmental stage-specific variation for genotype rankings in transpiration efficiency. In addition, for all examined genotypes we identified the genotype-specific breakpoint in transpiration in response to increasing vapour pressure deficit, with breakpoints ranging between 2.75 and 4.1 kPa.
Conclusion: Continuous monitoring of transpiration efficiency and diurnal transpiration patterns enables identification of hidden, heritable genotypic variation for transpiration traits relevant for wheat under drought stress. Since the unique experimental setup mimics field-like growth conditions, the results of this study have good transferability to field conditions.
Assessing the potential of nature-based solutions as sustainable land and water management strategies in the high tropical Andean páramo ecosystem
(2024) Fonseca, Kalina; Acero Triana, Juan S.; Ramírez, Miguel; Martínez, William; Ilbay, Mercy; Espitia-Sarmiento, Edgar; Breuer, Lutz
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are gaining attention as viable strategies for restoring water-rich ecosystems such as the páramo. However, the lack of evidence on their effectiveness, coupled with a limited understanding of their political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal (PESTEL) context, hinders their widespread adoption. To address this gap, we propose a multi-method framework that (i) captures PESTEL factors influencing the implementation of passive ecological restoration in páramo ecosystems as a measure of NbS and (ii) assesses its associated environmental impacts. Our approach integrates a scoping review with remote sensing techniques, water quality assessment, and correlation analyses. Focusing on the Upper Pita and Upper Cutuchi River Basins-key water sources for Andean communities in Ecuador, we reveal that the deterioration of their páramo ecosystems in the 20th century was mainly due to camelid grazing and pine timber production. In response to these threats, bottom-up management efforts starting in 1999, guided by various PESTEL factors, promoted policies, regulations, social agreements, and financial support for achieving passive ecological restoration between 2010 and 2017 in the Upper Pita River Basin. As a result, the conservation of 73.4% of natural páramo with excellent water quality in 2022. By contrast, top-down management in the Upper Cutuchi River Basin was ineffective because national strategies failed to tackle the local environmental challenges posed by the PESTEL factors. Hence, only 31.6% of the natural páramo remained with poor water quality by 2022. Our study is the first to demonstrate that passive ecological restoration benefits these ecosystems, while its absence results in significant changes that require additional restoration strategies.