Invited Speakers

A native Uruguayan, Dr. Florencia Meyer migrated to the USA to pursue a Master's degree in microbiology at Texas Tech University, followed by a Ph.D. degree in molecular virology focused on veterinary herpesviruses at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She moved to Brazil for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Instituto Carlos Chagas in Curitiba (Brazil) to work with the human viral pathogen Dengue Virus, and later pursued a second postdoc at the University of Nebraska working on human herpesviruses’ cellular mechanisms of infection. In 2011 she established her lab at Mississippi State University, USA, where she teaches and leads a research program largely focused on the study of viral and bacterial infectious disease in animals. In particular she studies one of the leading diseases in cattle which features a dynamic microbe-host interaction of viruses and bacteria, and is typically triggered by stress. In the past 5 years, her long interest in viruses has expanded into the world of farmed insects. As the insect industry develops, the mass-rearing characteristics of black soldier fly or cricket production inevitably facilitates the spread of microbes. Dr. Meyer is interested in learning about the complex viruses-bacteria-fungus ecology in reared insects to determine the potential effect on insect health and the production process. 

In 2002 Dennis Oonincx started a BSc in Animal Sciences at Wageningen University. His BSc thesis focused on dietary effects on the chemical composition of migratory locusts and during his MSc he specialized in animal nutrition. He explored the chemical composition of several arthropods to be used as feed during an internship at the St. Louis Zoo (USA) and finished his MSc with a thesis on the vitamin D requirements of bearded dragons. 

In 2008 he started his PhD at the Laboratory of Entomology at Wageningen University under the supervision of Prof van Huis and Prof van Loon. This resulted in the thesis “insects as food and feed: Nutrient composition and environmental impact”. Subsequently, he continued his work in that group as a post-doc, focusing on dietary effects on insect composition, including minerals, heavy metals, and mycotoxins.

Since 2018 he returned to the animal nutrition group of Wageningen University, where he continues his work on insects as a source of feed and food. His current projects focus on insect nutrition and aim to position insects as effective up-cyclers in the circular economy.

Dr. Daniela A. Peguero is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). In 2023, she completed her Doctorate at ETH Zurich, where her research concentrated on enhancing the efficiency of black soldier fly larvae in processing fibrous biowastes. With extensive experience in managing environmental projects, Daniela’s interests primarily focuses on the improvement of solid waste management through the use of black soldier fly larvae across various low- and middle-income countries. She has led several international projects and her work with BSFL has culminated in the publication of many scientific articles. She currently serves as associate editor for the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed.