Four-time University of Pretoria (UP) graduate Nina Parry has earned a PhD for her research in applied entomology, focused on the initial steps for developing rearing and processing methods for black soldier flies in start-up bioconversion facilities.

Bioconversion refers to the process of using biological organisms, such as insects or bacteria, to convert organic materials (often waste products) into useful products.

“It was a long road, and it did not initially feel real when I was told that I had passed my PhD,” says Parry, who received her PhD during the University of Pretoria (UP) 2024 Spring Graduation ceremonies in the first week of September. “It took a couple of weeks to sink in, actually.”

Parry is no newcomer to UP graduations – she already earned three UP degrees before this most recent graduation: a BSc Entomology in 2013, an honours cum laude in the same field in 2014, and an MSc Entomology in 2017 cum laude. She currently works as a science teacher, which is something she’s passionate about.

Parry says there are many potential applications for her work. “It is a rapidly growing industry, with a lot of research happening to support that growth,” she explains. “Bioconversion using insects like Hermetia illucens [the black soldier fly] has tremendous potential to revolutionise waste management and animal feed production, following principles of a circular economy, where waste is reduced and nutrients are recycled, rather than lost in landfills, for example.”

Parry says black soldier fly larvae “are voracious generalists that feed on virtually any organic waste material, and the adults are a short-lived fly species that is not associated with humans, cattle or buildings, generally preferring to hang out near compost heaps, where they often lay their eggs”.

She says scaled production needs to be cost-effective, high quality and reliable to produce larvae at the necessary scale to compete with traditional animal feed ingredients.

“Each step of production of larvae for animal feed is complex and can be costly, with bottle necks that slow things down. Additionally, the industry is new, and there are a lot of pitfalls start-up bioconversion companies can fall into that could limit growth. I wanted to address those steps as much as possible in my research.”

One of her dreams is to work as a lecturer at a university someday. “Right now, my priority is teaching science to my high school learners. I talk often of my experiences as a scientist, to inspire them and give them context about science and how to be more curious about how the world works. One day, I would like to step back into research and further pursue my goals to improve and learn more about using flies for bioconversion.”

Parry says completing her studies at UP was a “no-brainer”, as UP is a world-class institution with one of the best entomology departments in the country. Additionally, with her previous postgraduate degrees, she’s built a very strong relationship with her supervisor, Professor Chris Weldon at the Department of Zoology and Entomology, and he was prepared to work with her again for her PhD.

She reveals that funding issues almost prevented her from realising her dream.

“Funding became limited early on in my project, partly due to COVID-19, and investment in the bioconversion facility I was working for was limited. I had to change my project and my approach to accommodate the changes and make use of the resources I had available.”

Parry says her future plans are still up in the air, but she might continue to work as a teacher, apply for work as a post-doctoral fellow or lecturer, or consider starting up her own bioconversion facility.

“It is difficult to say for sure, but one way or another I am excited, and I will do my best to make a success of it.”