Fate of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial diversity during black soldier fly larvae bioconversion of human faecal waste.

Black soldier fly larvae bioconversion significantly alters the resistome and bacterial communities in human fecal waste, with specific ARGs decreasing or increasing over time.

• Why it matters: Understanding how bioconversion impacts antimicrobial resistance is crucial for developing safe waste management practices and reducing environmental AMR spread, especially in regions lacking proper sanitation.
• What they did: The study used real-time qPCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze ARGs and bacterial communities during BSFL bioconversion of human fecal waste, tracking changes over time.
• The result: While some ARGs decreased, others enriched, and bacterial communities were substantially restructured, indicating potential for bioconversion to mitigate AMR spread but requiring safety assessments for reuse.