Reclaiming harsh habitats with black soldier fly larvae

Extreme environments — on Earth and beyond — limit human habitation due to high levels of soil contaminants, making food production difficult. With instrumental funding from the WoodNext Foundation, researchers from Texas A&M University hope to rehabilitate extreme environments by integrating entomology, robotics, artificial intelligence, AI, and sensor technology.

The WoodNext Foundation manages the philanthropy of tech innovator and Roku CEO/founder Anthony Wood ’87 and his wife, Susan ‘89.

While they may sound like pests, black soldier flies could hold the key to reclaiming extreme environments. Their larvae can recycle organic waste and produce protein and fertilizer. But most importantly, the larvae can remove toxic substances from the materials they are fed.

This interdisciplinary project aims to develop autonomous systems for cultivating plants, recycling with black soldier fly larvae, and generating healthy, fertile soil suitable for human habitation.

Reclaiming extreme environments through manual labor is impractical due to the high cost of energy and resources, as well as the dangers posed to workers. This challenge led to the development of a multidisciplinary project.

“This project exemplifies the interdisciplinary research that is necessary to tackle the complex problems we face in today’s world,” said Guillermo Aguilar, Ph.D., department head and professor in the College of Engineering J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering. “Nobody is an expert in every field needed to combat a challenge of this scale, but collectively, we provide a unique expertise that is capable of addressing this problem.”

Black soldier flies aid soil reclamation  

Jeffery Tomberlin, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow and professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Entomology, will lead the biological integration project using black soldier fly larvae.

Tomberlin’s expertise in entomology provides the team insight into black soldier flies and their ability to remove toxic substances from the environment. This understanding is crucial for the project’s success.

“We live in a changing world where land is limited. By reclaiming extreme terrestrial environments, we are creating resources for humanity. If successful, such methods can be applied globally but also beyond Earth, such as in orbit, or on the moon or Mars,” said Tomberlin, who also serves as director of the National Science Foundation Center for Insect Biomanufacturing and Innovation.

Technology takes on toxic soils

Aguilar will contribute to the project by developing advanced sensors to obtain real-time soil data. The sensors will detect soil composition, contaminant concentrations and nutrient dynamics.

“The successful contaminant removal and soil restoration this project intends to achieve will empower land managers, farmers and governments to address polluted environments previously regarded as lost,” said Aguilar.

Aguilar’s soil-sensing data will be used in combination with robotics systems, built by Minghui Zheng, Ph.D., an associate professor in the mechanical engineering department, to automate remediation tasks.

Zheng said the robotic systems will form a physical backbone for the closed-loop, autonomous remediation system capable of adaptive operation with minimal human intervention.  

“By shifting labor-intensive and potentially dangerous tasks to automated robotic platforms, the technologies developed here can significantly reduce human exposure to hazardous environments,” said Zheng.

Smarter soil recovery through AI

Xiao Liang, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will lead the AI component of the project. Liang’s background in machine learning and environmental systems optimization will enable the creation of an AI platform that dynamically adjusts conditions to improve efficiency, scalability, and reduce human intervention.

“Our goal is to make large-scale soil remediation faster, smarter and more sustainable. By integrating AI with biological and mechanical systems, we can turn contaminated land into productive soil with minimal manual oversight,” said Liang. “The same technology could be applied in the future to extraterrestrial environments, enabling autonomous agriculture on Mars or the moon — critical for long-term human habitation.”

This research is supported by the Woods through the WoodNext TAMU Fund, a fund of a donor-advised fund program. Guided by the Woods’ overall mission to advance human progress and remove obstacles to a fulfilling life, the WoodNext Foundation makes grants and investments in areas including scientific and biomedical research, mental health, homelessness, education, nature conservation, disaster recovery and economic opportunity.

This story by Alyssa Schaechinger first appeared on the Texas A&M Engineering website.