FISH FARMING (AQUACULTURE) IS ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING AND MOST HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED AGRICULTURAL SECTORS. CONSUMERS WANT TO KNOW THAT FARMED FISH IS HEALTHY, SAFE, AND SUSTAINABLE. TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS, WE ARE STUDYING THE USE OF INSECTS AS AN INGREDIENT IN FISH FEEDS.INSECTS CAN BE RAISED USING EXISTING ORGANIC WASTE STREAMS AND BYPRODUCTS LIKE WASTE FOOD AND GRAINS LEFT OVER FROM BREWING AND DISTILLING. THIS MAKES THEM A VERSATILE TOOL FOR RECYCLING ORGANIC MATTER AND REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY. USING INSECTS IN AQUACULTURE FEEDS COULD FURTHER IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY BY REDUCING THE NEED FOR FISHMEAL AND FISH OIL - TWO OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND CONTROVERSIAL INGREDIENTS IN MODERN FEEDS. REPLACING FISHMEAL AND FISH OIL WITH INSECT INGREDIENTS WOULD SAVE MONEY FOR FARMERS AND REDUCE THE FISHING PRESSURE ON THE SMALL WILD FISH THAT ARE THE BASE OF THE FOOD CHAIN FOR LARGER WILD FISH.WHERE OUR WORK GETS REALLY EXCITING, THOUGH, IS THE WAY THAT WE THINK THAT INSECTS CAN ACTUALLY HELP KEEP FARMED FISH HEALTHY. DISEASE IS A PROBLEM IN EVERY KIND OF AGRICULTURE, AND AS RESISTANCE TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS (THINK ANTIBIOTICS AND FUNGICIDES) BECOMES MORE COMMON, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. INSECTS ARE EXCITING BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SIMPLER IMMUNE SYSTEM THAN VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. INSTEAD OF ANTIBODIES AND T CELLS AND B CELLS THAT REMEMBER AND RECOGNIZE SPECIFIC DISEASES, INSECTS RELY ON A BRUTE FORCE APPROACH: WHEN THEY SEE A BACTERIA WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE, THEY MAKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF NATURAL MOLECUES THAT ARE POISONOUS TO BACTERIA. THESE MOLECULES CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS A KIND OF NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT - THEY STOP THE INFECTION FROM GROWING AND THEY KEEP THE INSECT ALIVE.WE'VE ALREADY DISCOVERED THAT THESE MOLECULES ARE POISONOUS TO A NUMBER OF THE BACTERIA THAT CAUSE DISEASES IN FISH. WHAT WE WANT TO FIGURE OUT NEXT IS IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A NATURAL WAY TO STIMULATE INSECTS TO PRODUCE A LOT OF THESE MOLECULES RIGHT BEFORE WE HARVEST THEM. AFTER THEY'RE HARVESTED, THE MOLECULES WILL NATURALLY END UP IN ANY FOOD WE MAKE FOR THE FISH USING THESE INSECTS. THE HOPE IS THAT FEEDS WITH STIMULATED INSECTS CAN ACT LIKE A NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT AND PROTECT FISH FROM DISEASE. AND BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLEX MIXTURE OF LOTS OF DIFFERENT MOLECULES, WE'RE ALSO OPTIMISTIC THAT IT WILL BE HARDER FOR THE BACTERIA TO DEVELOP RESISTANCE TO THIS KIND OF TREATMENT. IF THIS WORKS, WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE FARMERS USE THIS IDEA TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY AND KEEP THEIR FISH HEALTHY WITHOUT NEEDING TO USE ANTIBIOTICS.