PhD Student: Gabriele Brenna (ORCID n. 0009-0000-8711-5502)
Supervisor: Prof.ssa Costanza Jucker – DeFENS
Co-tutor: Prof.ssa Barbara Scaglia – DiSAA
Dean: Prof. Diego Mora
Research area: Food Science and Nutrition
Research topic
Insect-based bioconversion of agro-industrial waste for multifunctional by-products within a circular economy framework
Project Synopsis
Bioconversion of agro-industrial waste by Hermetia illucens for chitin valorization
This PhD project aims to enhance the valorization of locally available agri-food by-products through the rearing of Hermetia illucens, focusing on chitin production and downstream applications within a circular economy framework. Selected local by-products will be evaluated as rearing substrates by assessing insect growth performance, survival, biomass yield, and bioconversion efficiency.
The effect of different substrates on insect chitin content will be investigated through chemical extraction and quantitative analyses. Microbiological screening of selected substrates will be performed to characterize microbial communities and identify bacteria potentially associated with enhanced chitin production. Selected strains will be tested as probiotics to evaluate their ability to increase insect chitin content.
In addition, insect frass derived from the experimental diets will be assessed for its biostimulant activity by monitoring plant growth parameters and tolerance to abiotic stress.
Project keywords
Insects; by-product; circular economy;
Contacts
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, DeFENS
Università degli Studi di Milano
Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan/ Italy
Email address: gabriele.brenna@unimi.it
Collaborations
Prof.ssa Barbara Scaglia, Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano.
Prof.ssa Rosmarie Tedeschi, Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari, Università degli Studi di Torino.
Prof. Luciano Pinotti, Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano.
Sponsor
Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano.
Publications
Communication to congresses: oral presentation
- Jucker C., Brenna G., Bigarella E., Crotti E. (2025). Bioconversion of agri-food by-products through Hermetia illucens larvae and evaluation of probiotic administration. CNIE XXVIII congresso nazionale italiano di entomologia, Siena 16-20 giugno 2025.
- Candian V., Bigarella E., Hentati D., Brenna G., Jucker C., Crotti E., Tedeschi R. (2025). New insight into Tenebrio molitor hemolymph microbiota. CNIE XXVIII congresso nazionale italiano di entomologia, Siena 16-20 giugno 2025.
- Crotti E., Bigarella E., Brenna G., Tedeschi R., Jucker C. (2025). The influence of different agri-food processing wastes on the gut microbiota of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens. CNIE XXVIII congresso nazionale italiano di entomologia, Siena 16-20 giugno 2025.
Communication to congresses: poster
- Brenna G., Tedeschi R., Crotti E., Jucker C. (2025). From waste to resource: potential of tomato peels for Tenebrio molitor rearing. CNIE XXVIII congresso nazionale italiano di entomologia, Siena 16-20 giugno 2025.
- Hentati D., Bigarella E., Candian V., Savio C., Brenna G., Jucker C., Tedeschi R., Crotti E. (2025). Assessing the Influence of Agro-Industrial By-Products on the Hemolymph and Gut Microbiota of the Yellow Mealworm Tenebrio molitor. BAGECO 17th Symposium on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology, Graz (Austria) 1-4 luglio 2025.
- Hentati D., Bigarella E., Candian V., Savio C., Brenna G., Jucker C., Tedeschi R., Crotti E. (2025). Impact of Agro-Industrial By-Products on the Gut and Hemolymph Microbiota of the Yellow Mealworm Tenebrio molitor. FEMS micro, Europe’s premier Congress & Exhibition for microbial research, Milano 14-17 luglio 2025.
- Crotti E., Bigarella E., Hentati D., Candian V., Savio C., Brenna G., Jucker C., Tedeschi R. (2025). Microbial interactions in mass-reared insects to promote host growth and health. FEMS micro, Europe’s premier Congress & Exhibition for microbial research, Milano 14-17 luglio 2025.
- Crotti E., Bigarella E., Brenna G., Jucker C. (2025) Modulation of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Gut Microbiota by Agri-Food Processing By Products. SIMTREA, 8th International Conference on Microbial Diversity, Roma 23-26 settembre 2025.