In an intensive rearing facility, black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) are cultured on agricultural waste to produce high-protein feed for poultry.
It takes 7.5 kg of agricultural waste to produce 1.0 kg of harvestable larval biomass. Explain why 7.5 kg of agricultural waste yields only 1.0 kg of insect larvae.
Scientists are researching ways to genetically modify the grain crops fed to poultry so that they synthesize these high levels of essential amino acids directly, reducing the ecological footprint of feed production.
Explain how enzymes are used in the process of genetic modification to insert a desired gene into a host plant's DNA.
Describe the role of a named vector in this genetic modification process.
