Elisa Gemassmer, BSc

Room 513
Elisa.Gemassmer@student.uibk.ac.at

From a young age, I loved exploring nature and spending time outdoors. After having worked in agriculture and fruit processing for several years, I applied for the master in Ecology and Biodiversity in Innsbruck.

Nutritional demands and waste management for a rapidly growing world population are pressing topics. Therefore, edible insects like the South American black soldier fly, which can recycle organic waste, could be a viable solution.

For my master thesis, I am working at the intersection of microbiology and ecology of a black soldier fly project. Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) can influence insect behavior in multiple ways. In the case of the black soldier fly, the oviposition phase – crucial for insect farming – is likely to be stimulated by MVOCs. Therefore, we are testing and comparing different microbial cultivation techniques to discover the microbiome of black soldier fly’s growth substrate.

Research topics
Insect farming
Microbial cultivation
Microbiome research
Waste management