Maja Schøn

Upcycling low-quality organic waste into valuable resources for food and feed is necessary for a sustainable future, and the industry of bioconversion using insects, particularly black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens), is experiencing global growth. However, producers (at any scale) face the challenges of feedstock-dependent physical properties of their substrates and the varying conditions of production. The substrate not only provides nutrition and water but also acts as a habitat for both the larvae and the interacting microorganisms in the bioconversion system. Even slight changes in the substrate can lead to domino effects that influences larval growth performance (yield) and body composition (quality). Understanding the influence of the substrate's physical properties on the bioconversion system over time is essential to manipulate the substrate for optimized nutrient utilization and production efficiency.

Maja's PhD research focuses on the physical properties of black soldier fly larvae processing. She welcomes discussions on the subject.

The ETH Zurich Sustainable Food Processing Group within the Department of Health Science and Technology is collaborating with the ETH Food Physics and Rheology Group, the Department of Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development (Sandec) at Eawag, and the Singapore-ETH Centre. Together, they research biowaste processing with BSFL, seeking to generate lasting value for societies and industries across the globe.

Maja Lermark Schøn (pronounced as Schön), received her BSc and MSc in Biology from Aarhus University, Denmark with a focus on Genetics, Ecology and Evolution. Through her studies, she has worked with microbiome characteristics, behavior, nutrient requirements, and metabolism in invertebrates. As a Research Assistant in 2023, she explored respiration, feed utilization, and amino acid optimization in BSFL at Aarhus University. In January 2024, Maja started as a doctoral candidate at ETH Zurich, Switzerland to understand the influence of physical parameters in the BSFL bioconversion process.