Variation of volatile organic compounds produced from Escherichia coli O157:H7 contaminated Gainesville digested by black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae

Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, (Linneaus) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae can convert a wide range of organic waste streams into insect biomass. Recent research has investigated the ability to black soldier fly larvae to reduce the emissions of noxious odors from organic waste breakdown. Escherichia coli O157:H7, a common inhabitant of waste substrates, emits a range of VOCs as metabolic byproducts that can influence insect behavior, development, and microbial competition. This research looks at the impact of black soldier fly larvae feeding on the volatiles emitted by E. coli in Gainesville at three different concentrations (10^3, 10^5, 10^7 cfu/g of dry Gainesville). This research has implications in insects as food and feed to monitor pathogenic stress as well as environmental monitoring.