The invention relates to a tray for farming insects, comprising a solid bottom (2) that defines a substantially horizontal plane, and side walls (4) defining a peripheral enclosure (5) of the tray. The bottom (2) and the side walls (4) define a tray body. The tray comprises feet (6) that extend vertically from the bottom (2) of the tray to a level above the enclosure (5) of the tray. The feet make it possible for an identical insect farming tray to be stacked on top of the farming tray while creating a space between the bottom (2) of said identical tray and the enclosure (5) of the tray. The body of the tray has no sharp edges in order to limit disruption to a laminar air flow flowing around the tray. The invention also relates to a stack of multiple trays of this type.

One variation of a method includes: at a feeder module, subjecting a first set of cages to a first set of environmental conditions configured to promote deposition of fly eggs by adult flies, each cage, in the first set of cages, containing a fly population, in a set of fly populations, genetically modified to generate amounts of a target compound; at an incubator module, subjecting a second set of cages to a second set of environmental conditions configured to promote transformation of fly eggs into fly larvae; at a treatment module, subjecting a third set of cages to a third set of environmental conditions configured to promote generation of a target compound in fly larvae contained within the third set of cages; and, at a repopulation module, subjecting a fourth set of cages to a fourth set of environmental conditions configured to promote transformation of fly larvae into adult flies.

Disclosed are methods, compositions, and systems for transforming silkworms to produce spider silk and analogs of spider silk. In certain embodiments, the method may include inserting a DNA sequence coding for at least a portion of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, positioned between at least a portion of the 5 and 3 ends of a silkworm fibroin gene to generate a fusion gene construct having a sequence that encodes for a polypeptide comprising both spider silk fibroin and silkworm silk fibroin sequences. In certain embodiments, the fused gene is able to replace a native gene present in the silkworm such that the transformed silkworm expresses a polypeptide comprising a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog thereof, and expresses significantly less of the native silkworm silk.

The present invention relates to a method for reducing the competitive fitness of an organism hemizygous for a transgenic locus compared to the organism homozygous for the transgenic locus comprising the steps of: (a) reducing the expression of a haploinsufficient gene in the organism, wherein said reduction is conveyed by a transgenic locus in the organism; and (b) rescuing the reduced expression in the organism, wherein said rescue is conveyed by the same transgenic locus in the organism, yielding an organism which is less competitively fit if hemizygous for the transgenic locus than if homozygous for the transgenic locus. The present invention also relates to a method for decreasing the introgression of a transgenic locus in an organism into a population of otherwise interfertile sexually reproducing organisms comprising the steps of: (a) reducing the expression of a haploinsufficient gene in the organism, wherein said reduction is conveyed by a transgenic locus in the organism; (b) rescuing the reduced expression in the organism, wherein said rescue is conveyed by the same transgenic locus in the organism, and (c) using a transgenic organism obtained in step (b) in an environment comprising otherwise interfertile sexually reproducing wildtype individuals of the organism, wherein the competitive fitness of hemizygous progeny is reduced, thereby decreasing the rate of sexually reproduction and/or viability and/or the competitive fitness of hemizygous progeny. Further envisaged are corresponding genetic systems and genetically modified organisms.

It is intended to develop and provide a technique of conveniently allowing a transgenic silkworm by itself and at an individual level to produce a recombinant protein having a mammalian-type sugar chain sialic acid attached thereto, without the need of a baculovirus expression system or oral and transdermal administration of sialic acid. An expression vector was developed which can induce the expression of a mammalian-type glycosylation-related gene group only in a silk gland such that the recombinant protein modified with the mammalian-type sugar chain has no adverse effect on the silkworm itself. A transgenic silkworm harboring the expression vector was prepared.

In one aspect, a singulation chamber apparatus defines a volume having a receiving end and an opposing end. The receiving end may be couplable to an insect chamber for a plurality of ambulatory insects and define an opening to receive the plurality of ambulatory insects from the insect chamber. A surface of the chamber is ramped to provide a pathway between the receiving end and the opposing end such that the opposing end is elevated with respect to the first end via the ramped surface. The pathway has a width sized to accommodate a single-file line of the plurality of ambulatory insects traversing the ramped surface.

The invention relates to improved methods for treating a human subject diagnosed with cancer using combination drug regimens tailored to the genome/proteome/phenome of the subject's turn or/cancer. The treatment regimens are selected and/or their efficacy is confirmed using an animal model avatar, preferably a transgenic Drosophila avatar, of the genome/proteome/phenome of the subject. In certain embodiments, avatar armies representing the genomes/proteomes/phenomes of a population of patients diagnosed with a disease or disorder can be used to screen and select therapeutic regimens for treatment and/or to screen for new lead compounds and identify new therapeutics for the disease or disorder.

Transgenic silkworms stably expressing hagfish thread keratin genes or composite silkworm/hagfish thread keratin genes are disclosed. The exogenous hagfish thread keratin genes are stably integrated into a defined site of the fibroin heavy chain intron or a fibroin light chain intron of silkworms. Synthetic hagfish thread keratin proteins and composite hagfish thread keratin-silkworm genes and proteins are provided. The expression of exogenous hagfish thread keratin genes is driven by the endogenous fibroin heavy chain promoter, improving the genetic stability of transgenic silkworms. The composite silkworm/hagfish thread keratin fibers exhibit exceptional mechanical performance, compared to normal silkworm silk fibers and other transgenic silkworm fibers.

One variation of a method for producing a target compound includes: during an initial period, genetically modifying a population of insects to produce a target compound; during a growth period succeeding the initial period, cultivating the population of insects; during a treatment period succeeding the growth period, applying a dosage of a stressor to the population of insects, the stressor configured to trigger production of the target compound; in response to a proportion of the target compound within the population of insects exceeding a threshold proportion, harvesting the population of insects; homogenizing the population of insects to form a blend comprising the proportion of the target compound and a second proportion of a set of secondary components; and separating the proportion of the target compound from the second proportion of the set of secondary components for extraction of the proportion of the target compound from the blend.

The present disclosure relates to the production of biomass from at least one plastic polymer. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to use of a feed for production of biomass, wherein larvae of the family Pyralidae or of the family Tenebrionidae are fed on a feed comprising at least one plastic polymer, a related use of increasing pupation in a population of larva.