Ivã Guidini Lopes

I have a bachelor degree in Biological Sciences, a M.Sc. and a PhD degree in Aquaculture (Organic Waste Management). I am very interested in the recovery of organic resources (e.g. plant nutrients and bioactive substances) from waste streams and in the reutilization of such resources in food and feed production. The focus of my work is using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) larvae as a bioconversion tool for bioconverting organic residual streams, with the aim to achieve true circularity within the food supply chain. I am currently focused on the production, stabilization and application of high-quality BSF-derived fertilizers (frass or entomocompost). Frass is a novel organic fertilizer/soil amendment with incredible potential for increasing resilience and sustainability in agricultural systems, and my research is directed to unraveling its benefits and overcoming its limitations.

Lecture "Composting: a microbial process" in the course Växtskydd och mikrobiologi (SLU Alnarp)

Lecture "Biostimulants in waste and wastewater" in the course Safe Nutrient Recycling (SLU Uppsala)

- Bioconversion of waste streams with BSF larvae

- Stabilization and maturation of BSF frass 

- Application of organic fertilizers in horticultural production

- Dynamics of bacteria and fungi in the soil-plant continuum

I work with the development and implementation of the BSF bioconversion of organic residual streams in Sweden and in other parts of the world (Brazil and Portugal). I am involved in several research projects with the Kretsloppsteknik research group at SLU (for more information you can read our blog by clicking here) and with researchers and students at SLU in Alnarp.

I hold a PhD in Aquaculture, with focus on organic waste management, from São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.

- Inês Bento Cruz (Erasmus MSc student - Portugal)

- Herath Madduma Banda (MSc student - Sri Lanka)

- Iryna Rehan (PhD student - Portugal)

The impact of scale and frass recirculation on pathogen inactivation dynamics in black soldier fly larvae bioconversion. Lalander, C., Lopes, I.G., Gyftopoulos, N., Vinnerås, B. Frontiers in Microbiology (2025).

Towards circularity for agro-waste: Minimal soil hazards of olive pomace bioconverted frass by insect larvae as an organic fertilizer. Mostafaie, A., Silva, A.R.R, Pinto, J.N., Prodana, M., Lopes IG, Murta, D., Brooks, B., Loureiro, S., Cardoso, D. Journal of Environmental Management (2025).

Advances in substrate source composition for rearing black soldier fly larvae as a protein source. Lalander, C., Lopes, I.G.. Book chapter published with Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science (2024).

Recirculating frass from food waste bioconversion using black soldier fly larvae: Impacts on process efficiency and product quality. Lopes, I.G., Wiklicky, V., Vinnerås, B., Yong, J., Lalander, C. Journal of Environmental Management (2024).

Fish consumption in Brazil: State of the art and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lopes, I.G., Freitas, T.M. Aquaculture (2023).

Dynamics of black soldier fly larvae composting - Impact of substrate properties and rearing conditions on process efficiency. Lopes, I.G., Wiklicky, V., Ermolaev, E., Lalander, C. Waste Management (2023).

Improving Product Safety for Edible Insects: Toxicokinetics of Hg in Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens. Cardoso D., Silva ARR, Morgado, Lopes IG, Murta, Loureiro S. ACS Food Science and Technology (2023).

Frass derived from black soldier fly larvae treatment of biodegradable wastes. A critical review and future perspectives. Lopes, I.G., Yong, J., Lalander, C. Waste Management (2022).

Black soldier fly larvae frass increases the soil’s residual nutrient content and enzymatic activity - a lettuce production trial. Esteves C., Fareleira P, Castelo-Branco MA, Lopes, IG, Mota M, Murta D, Menino R. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (2022).

Potentially available nitrogen evaluated by biological and chemical methods in a soil cultivated with maize in succession to cover crops. Bettiol, A.C.T., Lopes, I.G., Braos L.B., Andrioli, I., Ferreira, M.E., Cruz, M.C.P. Journal of Plant Nutrition (In Press).

Valorization of animal waste from Aquaculture through composting: nitrogen recovery and mineralization. Lopes, I.G., Braos, L.B., Cruz, M.C.P., Vidotti, R.M. Aquaculture (2020).

Reduction of bacteria in relation to feeding regimes when treating aquaculture waste in fly larvae composting. Lopes, I.G., Lalander C., Vidotti, R.M., Vinnerås, B. Frontiers in Microbiology 11: 1616.

Mineralization of nitrogen in soils with application of acid whey at different pH. Braos, L.B., Ruiz, J.G.C.L., Lopes, I.G., Cruz, M.C.P., Ferreira, M.E. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (2020).

Using Hermetia illucens larvae to process biowaste from aquaculture production. Lopes, I.G., Lalander, C., Vidotti, R.M., Vinnerås, B. Journal of Cleaner Production 251: 119753 (2020).

Complete publication list from ResearchGate and Google Scholar.