Integrated Human Practices

In January, we brought together students from two different institutions, the University of Lyon 1 and the INSA Lyon engineering school. The team is made up of students with diverse backgrounds, including those pursuing master’s degrees in microbiology, cancerology, health engineering, and public health, as well as engineering students specializing in biochemistry and biotechnology. This diversity allowed us to have different points of view on the project and integrate each person's skills to enrich it.

At the end of 2023, France experienced a crisis related to bedbugs, parasitic insects that feed on human blood. Even though these insects do not transmit any diseases and are harmless to humans, they infest homes, and it is extremely difficult to get rid of them. Bed Bugs were found in public transportation, and a general panic began to emerge. The news spread worldwide and made headlines in foreign newspapers.

That raised the issue of: pest insects.

At the same time, we came across an article published in the scientific journal Nature showing that it was possible to co-culture a cellulose-producing bacterium and a yeast. This gave us the idea to design a sticky and colored patch to trap insects using this technique. Our trap would be versatile and could address several issues.

Our project aimed to recreate the sticky insect traps already used in orchards to combat harmful pests, with the added benefit that our version would be bio-produced and biodegradable. This project aligned with our values and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations. Specifically, it addressed issues related to zero hunger, climate change, and sustainable production and consumption.

Later, other application ideas came to mind, particularly in agriculture and pantry moths.

The goal of our trap in an agricultural setting is to prevent crop loss caused by pest insects while minimizing the use of insecticides.

Explore context: a new pest species and the tightening of european pesticide regulations

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Fruit flies generally do not cause problems for farmers since they only target fruits that are already decaying. However, since the early 2010s, a new species of fruit fly has been introduced in Europe, Drosophila suzukii. This species, originally from Southeast Asia, attacks stone fruits and soft cultivated fruits and has become one of the main pest insects present in European orchards. In France, and especially in our Lyon region, the most affected fruits by this insect are cherries. Losses due to Drosophila suzukii can represent up to 80% of a crop.

At the same time, European and French regulations concerning insecticides are becoming increasingly restrictive due to the harmful effects of these products on human health and ecosystem health, leaving farmers without effective solutions to combat these pests.

Moreover, in 2023, the French government decided to discontinue the use of neonicotinoids, the most widely used insecticides in the world. While environmental advocates welcome this decision for biodiversity, farmers, particularly beet growers, are outraged by this ban, which comes at a time when no alternatives are available. Some farmers' advocacy groups have even raised concerns about the risk of endangering food sovereignty.

This is amazing news for the environment since insecticides have negative impacts on the planet.

However, we have observed the anger of farmers in France over the lack of solutions they are facing. That’s why we have to help them by finding a new solution that should respect the environment.

Integrate insights: will our trap be adapted to farming use?

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Orchard management:

To better document and understand the struggles of farmers in protecting their harvest while maintaining eco-responsible agriculture, we had an interesting conversation with two members of the Collectif Quicury: Robert Lhomme and Alain Chizat. Collectif Quicury is an association from the Lyon region dedicated to the preservation of productive land. Three years ago, the association acquired an abandoned orchard with 70 cherry trees. Their goal with this orchard is to achieve a profitable and organic fruit production. Harvests are carried out directly by the association members, who, in exchange for a membership, can pick and take home cherries from the orchard.

Researchers’ warnings:

After consulting with Hubert Charles, a professor at INSA Lyon and a researcher at the BF2i laboratory specializing in insects and their interactions, we realized the need to rethink our project. We discovered that our sticky trap lacked specificity, and if deployed in agricultural settings like fields and orchards, it could have had unintended negative consequences. For example, it posed a risk to already endangered species like bees.

To explore more deeply this issue we also gather the opinion of the professor and researcher Abdelaziz Heddi also working at the BF2i laboratory:

Close the loop: awareness and change of course

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We realized that our mistake had been to think only about insects considered harmful without considering the fact that some crucial insects could also be caught in the trap. Indeed, insects are often associated with a negative image, but some are essential, like bees. In fact, they are endangered, yet indispensable. 90% of flowering plant species depend on pollinating insects for pollination. The world’s food crop production largely depends on these insects. Today, bees are experiencing high mortality, which is multifactorial, partly due to the chemicals released into the environment.

That’s why we don’t want to be responsible for their decline, and we have rethought our project. This realization about the application in agriculture led us to reconsider our approach, prompting us to explore alternative applications for our project that would align better with our environmental and sustainability goals.

After some thought, we decided not to completely abandon the idea of using our trap for insects in agriculture. However, it is clear to us that we cannot use it as is, and it would need adjustments in terms of specificity, such as the integration of pheromones to make it specific to a single species.

Another idea came to us, one that poses fewer environmental concerns. Our trap could be used in a domestic setting, for bed bugs but not only, it could be used for catching pantry moths, as well as in grocery stores selling bulk goods, and on a larger scale for the storage of goods by wholesalers or farmers. The goal of our trap in an indoor setting is to prevent food loss caused by pest insects while minimizing the use of insecticides. It also aims to offer a new biodegradable and bio-based alternative to current solutions which are often made of plastic.

Explore context: food waste and bulk sales

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Bulk buying is attracting more and more people who want to adopt a healthier and more conscious way of consuming.
Indeed, packaging, especially food packaging, which is often plastic, poses a major environmental problem. In 2021, Europeans produced 84 million tons of packaging waste. Awareness of these figures is leading some households to turn to bulk buying.

This is what Emmanuel Tachon, creator of the company “Les Tontons Vraqueurs”, which sells bulk products at markets, explains.

In France, every year, 10 million tons of food products are wasted. This is why it's important to work on solutions to limit this. Preventing contamination by pest insects is an interesting measure to help reduce this waste.

Who buys bulk goods?

We conducted a study on ninety french individuals about their consumption habits regarding bulk buying.

What are the advantages of bulk buying?

The results of our study show that people buy in bulk for various reasons. Some appreciate that it helps reduce packaging , while others like being able to choose the exact quantity they want , which can also help reduce food waste. The diversity and quality of bulk products were also mentioned.

What holds people back from buying in bulk?

The results of our own study show that some people don’t buy bulk products because they find it too expensive , they don’t have any shop in their neighborhood selling it or they don’t find it really convenient . Some people also answered that they are afraid of contamination by pest insects and that it prevents them from buying in bulk.

Contamination by pantry moths in houses and bulk stores:

Our interviews helped us understand that food waste in bulk selling depends on the scale of the shop. A big structure does not face the same level of loss as a little seller that can manage the infestation more easily thanks to his limited stock.
Pantry moths are not only found in bulk stores but can also be present in your own pantry.

Integrate Insights: current solutions and user expectations for combatting pantry moths

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What solutions are currently used by people, stores, bulk sellers to combat pantry moths?

The respondents from the survey stated that they used sticky insect traps, insecticides, and home remedies to combat pantry moth infestations.

What do domestic users and bulk sellers think about our trap?

From our discussion with potential users we also realized that it’s important for them that the trap is practical and adapted to their needs. Therefore it has to be small, compact, easy to use and that can be put on any surface.

Close the loop: what our trap SHOULD and SHOULDN’T include

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What people use currently:

Our survey on private individuals and talks with bulk sellers helped us identify what solutions were commonly used against pantry moths and what were the issues with those products. We took into account these disadvantages in the design of our BIO Snare trap.

Our eco responsible solution to fight against pantry moths:

Present evidence: ensuring the benefits of our trap on society

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To avoid making the same mistake as when we considered using our trap in agriculture, we aimed for a comprehensive approach that includes all stakeholders. That’s why we decided to create an ethical framework.

Ethical framework: evaluating the impact of the BIO Snare insect trap on the bulk selling industry for various stakeholders

All of the stakeholders impacted by the use of the BIO Snare trap were determined and the beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy of our project on each actor was discussed.

STAKEHOLDERS	BENEFICIENCE To do good to others. Project consequences.	NON-MALEFICIENCE To avoid harming others. Project risks.	JUSTICE Distribution of resources. Equality/fairness. The notion of justice as a principle of recognition, who is granted recognition and rights?	AUTONOMY The need to respect the autonomy of an individual considered free and capable.
Plodia interpunctella (Pantry moth)	Cause their death.	Can potentially cause pain to the insect while it is glued to the trap. Possible extinction of the species.	No recognition or rights are granted to moths. They are not considered as beings in their own right but as pests.	No choice possible, death is their only outcome.
Consumers	Access to quality products without contact with insecticides. No food loss. Not being in contact with traps containing insecticide.		Can buy and consume goods without loss.	Facilitates the choice of buying in bulk without the negative aspects.
Sellers	Remove from daily tasks the monitoring of losses and the need to dispose of food items. Avoiding contact with traps that contain insecticides.	Prevent the layoff of employees at a bulk store if excessive losses can cause the store to close.		Having the choice of an eco friendly trap. Have a profession that aligns with their values (stop using insecticides or plastic traps).
Farmers	Can thrive from their production without fearing losses related to moths.	Reduce the use of insecticide traps in the aim of protecting their crops.	No financial losses due to moths.	Can sell their production to retailers who share the same values.
Companies selling non-sustainable insect traps	Loss of market share. Expand their product range with eco-friendly traps. Forced to develop their own biological alternatives to stay aligned with consumers' values.	Possible layoffs related to the loss of market share.
Conventional supermarkets (without any bulk products)	Loss of market share if bulk development occurs. Limit financial losses if they develop a bulk section. Promote bulk sales to supermarket customers. Offer BIO Snare as an eco-friendly alternative to their clients.	Possible layoffs related to the loss of market share.	Create competition for bulk stores.	Possibility of expanding bulk sales in supermarkets while limiting food losses.
Shops that do bulk selling	No financial loss related to food waste. Offer BIO Snare as an eco-friendly alternative to their clients		Be able to compete with conventional supermarkets.	Sell high-quality, uncontaminated products.
Pantry Moth predators	Disrupt the food chain.	Can cause their death by the possible lack of food.	Are not pests but die(if the trap is not specific enough or if they don’t have any food option left).	Can no longer feed on their own and are forced to migrate to another location.
Future generations	Access to cheaper bulk products. Mitigation of global warming by reducing the use of harmful insecticides. Food waste reduction.	Risks associated with the creation of GMOs. Risks associated with the disruption of the food chain.	Preserve the environment for future generations
Ecosystem	Disruption of the food chain. Protection of the ecosystem by reducing insecticides.	Risks associated with the creation of GMOs. Risks associated with the disruption of the food chain.
Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacteria (Komagataeibacter rhaeticus)			Difficulty in granting rights to microorganisms.	Dependance on the scientific team for their survival. They don’t choose to be genetically modified or not.
Team iGEM Lyon1 INSA	Learn to manage a project from start to finish.	Develop awareness of the risks and potential outcomes of the project make ajustments to limit them.		Dependence on bacteria, yeast, and laboratory equipment for the synthesis of the trap. Financial dependence on sponsors. Introduction to the topic of animal ethics.

Overall, it seems that our trap has a positive impact on society when it’s used domestically to trap pantry moths. However, some stakeholders could still be impacted negatively in some aspects. This ethical framework allows us to highlight the fact that the insect targeted by our trap isn’t impacted positively at all by it. We believe that while it’s important to consider insect welfare, it is more important to reduce food waste by killing pest insects. In spite of that we place great importance in questioning our knowledge about insects and how they are perceived.

A bibliographic research was conducted to determine if the common belief that insects don’t feel pain is true. Others might believe that the pain experienced by insects is less significant. Therefore, these researches are also important to sensibilize society and scientists about this question that lacks research and try to look at the world from a somewhat less anthropocentric perspective.

Exploring ethical perspectives on pain and moral consideration

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Pathocentrism is an ethical perspective that considers the capacity to feel pain and suffering as a criterion for moral consideration. Ethical reflections are then based on an organism’s ability to experience sensations and pain. This concept contrasts with anthropocentrism, which places humans at the center of moral concerns. Using this perspective, the interests of animals are taken into account based on their capacity to experience pain. This imposes moral obligations regarding the infliction of unjustified treatments that cause suffering and pain. Pathocentrism is often used by animal rights advocates to promote more ethical practices in areas such as farming and scientific research.

There are various viewpoints for considering moral issues :

It is important today to consider these new animal ethics, which are not exclusive of one another.

These different perspectives differ in the scope of their moral consideration. According to Peter Singer, a utilitarian philosopher, we should consider the thesis of animal equality, which asserts that all animals are equal. This means that the interests of all animals are equal, regardless of the individual concerned. Equality is a moral and normative concept. Thus, equal consideration should be given to the interests of animals as to those of humans. However, this equality pertains only to interests, not rights.

Exploring insect sentience: evaluating pain and consciousness

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More and more research is being conducted to evaluate to what extent insects can suffer. From the perspective of the Human Practices team members, it was necessary for us to investigate this possibility, as our project aims to kill pest insects. In the development of this kind of project, it seems crucial to consider the insect itself and determine if it will experience any pain while being trapped in our sticky cellulose trap.
Pain and consciousness are notions that can be really different depending on the species and shouldn’t be limited to the pain felt by Humans or vertebrates in general.

While reading recent articles, we discovered that the study of pain in animals can be assessed using eight criteria for sentience. The criteria are possession of nociceptors, possession of integrative brain regions, connections between nociceptors and integrative brain regions, responses affected by potential local anesthetics or analgesics, motivational trade-offs that show a balancing of threat against opportunity for reward, flexible self-protective behaviors in response to injury and threat, associative learning that goes beyond habituation and sensitisation and behavior that shows the animal values local anesthetics or analgesics when injured.
These criteria, developed by Birch et al. [3], were first applied to cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans. They were later applied to insects in the Gibbons et al. paper [6], which compiled bibliographic research on experiments conducted on insects to determine whether the criteria were met. In the article, different insect orders were tested. For our project, we will only focus on insect pests: the Diptera, Lepidoptera and the Blattodea orders.

Adult Drosophila melanogaster also known as fruit fly was chosen as the model for the Diptera order due to its well-established use in laboratory research. For this insect, the studies summarized a very high level of confidence in the approval for five of the eight criteria: nociception, sensory integration, integrated nociception, analgesia and associative learning. Regarding the Blattodea order, with pest insects like Zootermopsis nevadensis, the Nevada termite, the sensory integration, integrated nociception and associative learning can be validated with a very high confidence level. Three other criteria can be approved with a high confidence level: nociception, analgesia and flexible self protection. For adult moths from the Lepidoptera order, the study indicates a very high confidence level only for the nociception, sensory integration and associative learning. For the other five, no research was found to confirm the criteria. Therefore, it is difficult to make any conclusion for the Lepidoptera order.

In the Gibbons et al. article, some of the criteria couldn’t be studied at all because of the current lack of scientific research on insect sentience. Specifically, regarding flexible self-protection and analgesia preference, no conclusions can be drawn for almost every insect order due to insufficient resources, indicating that this subject has not yet been adequately addressed. Another issue is that when insect behavior is studied it is difficult to differentiate pain, survival instinct and their learning ability making it delicate to make any conclusion on the matter.

The study of pain in insects is a complicated matter because humans tend to define concepts based on our own experiences and feelings. While the pain experienced by vertebrates cannot be directly compared to insect sentience, it is crucial for a project like ours, where insects are central, to consider their potential consciousness and ability to experience some form of suffering or stress. The various articles we have studied suggest insect sentience, but they also highlight the current lack of research on the subject. In research, insects are often exposed to high temperatures and electric shocks to qualify their pain and responses. They are never subjected to being glued to a surface. Additionally, our team’s limited time and resources make it difficult to obtain concrete scientific evidence on whether insects would experience pain while being trapped on our sticky cellulose.

Balancing insect welfare and agricultural needs in trap design

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It is necessary that we take into account insect welfare in the design of our insect trap. From this perspective, it is important that something is paired with the sticky and colored cellulose to attract and trap the insect but also that it minimizes the insect's suffering. Improvements such as incorporating a toxin specific to each insect targeted by the trap could help kill the insect more quickly and with less pain. For example, Bt toxin could be paired with the trap for domestic applications, specifically targeting termites. Moreover, an anesthetic could also be used in the trap to ensure insect welfare. However, we would need to choose a substance that is biosourced and biodegradable to guarantee proper degradation of the trap after use.

Nevertheless, it is also important to remember that from an anthropocentric point of view, combating harmful insects is one of the biggest challenges in agriculture, affecting our ability to properly feed all human beings.

Navigating insect welfare in research: challenges and perspectives

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This trap also needs to be tested in the lab and in nature before it can be used by private individuals or companies to insure its specificity and its proper functioning. Therefore, we also need to research the consequences and limits of animal testing on insects and how to do it properly for insect welfare. Insects are manipulated everyday in labs but their welfare is not sufficiently considered. The Insect Welfare Research Society (IWRF) provides since 2023 guidelines protecting and promoting insect welfare in research [8]. Parameters such as housing, nutrition, disease management, anesthesia need to be thought of before working with insects. The problem with these guidelines is that, unlike animal testing on vertebrates, the guidelines for testing on insects are not mandatory and remains only advisory.
To better understand animal testing on insects in an academic lab we had a discussion with Raphaëlle Dubruille a researcher at the LBMC laboratory at ENS Lyon, working on spermiogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Thus, insect welfare is an important matter but from a researcher point of view, taking it under consideration in research would be an unnecessary burden and would only slow down scientific breakthroughs. Nevertheless, following such guidelines to respect insect welfare is essential for our team and the iGEM contest values. In the development of this project, we never reached the stage of testing our trap on insects in the lab or in nature. Regardless, it is vital for us to raise awareness regarding this matter in the research field.