Project: Addressing the Global Food Challenge - Sustainable Alternative Protein Ingredients for Human Health

Challenge Space

Food Challenge - Food Security

Prinicipal Investigator(s) and team names

Dr Dearbhla Finnegan, Dr Caroline Geoghegan (Joint PIs), PhD student (to be recruited) 

Collaborating Institutions

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; Moment Alpha (Hungary)

Funding support

Orla Benson PhD Scholarship, School of Biotechnology, DCU

Project start date

September 2026

End date

August 2030

Problem

By 2050 the global population will approach 10 billion, requiring a 56% increase in food production. Yet food production is responsible for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock responsible for more than half, making conventional animal protein an unsustainable route to meeting demand. 

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide is also reducing the nutritional quality of staple crops, leaving millions at risk of protein deficiency. Sustainable, high-quality protein sources are therefore urgently needed. 

Background

Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae are naturally rich in protein, containing all essential amino acids required for human health alongside key vitamins and minerals, and can be reared using a fraction of the land, water and feed needed for conventional livestock. 

While BSF are increasingly used in animal feed, their potential as a source of purified, bioactive proteins for human health remains largely underexplored. 

Solution

This project unites sustainable biotechnology and human health research in order to isolate and purify protein fractions from BSF larvae using green extraction technologies, including Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents. 

Purified fractions will be screened across in vitro models of the human gut, lungs, skin and immune system to identify candidates that modulate inflammation, support barrier function, enhance tissue repair and exhibit antiviral activity. 

The lead candidate will be developed into a translatable formulation, establishing a pipeline for next-generation, insect-derived functional food ingredients.