System and method for rearing a genetically-modified fly population to regulate production of a target compound

A method comprising:

• at a feeder module defining a first array of cage slots, subjecting a first set of cages, transiently arranged within first array of cage slots, to a first set of environmental conditions configured to promote deposition of fly eggs by adult flies, each cage, in the first set of cages, containing a fly population, in a set of fly populations, genetically modified to generate amounts of a target compound;
• at an incubator module defining a second array of cage slots, subjecting a second set of cages, transiently arranged within second array of cage slots, to a second set of environmental conditions configured to promote transformation of fly eggs into fly larvae;
• at a treatment module defining a third array of cage slots, subjecting a third set of cages, transiently arranged within third array of cage slots, to a third set of environmental conditions configured to promote generation of a target compound in fly larvae contained within the third set of cages;
• at a repopulation module defining a fourth array of cage slots, subjecting a fourth set of cages, transiently arranged within fourth array of cage slots, to a fourth set of environmental conditions configured to promote transformation of fly larvae into adult flies;
• and
• during a global period of a first target duration:
• during a first cycle:
• at a first time, transferring a first population of eggs, deposited by a first fly population in a first cage in the first set of cages, from the first cage to a second cage, in the second set of cages, in the incubator module;
• at a second time succeeding the first time by a second target duration, transferring the second cage from the incubator module to the treatment module, the second cage containing a first population of larvae, emerged from the first population of eggs, at the second time;
• and
• at a third time succeeding the second time by a third target duration, harvesting the first population of larvae from the second cage for extraction of an amount of the target compound;
• and
• during a second cycle:
• at a fourth time, transferring a second population of eggs, deposited by adult flies in the first fly population in the first cage, from the first cage to a third cage, in the second set of cages, in the incubator module;
• at a fifth time succeeding the first time by the second target duration, in response to expiration of the first target duration, transferring the third cage from the incubator module to the repopulation module, the third cage containing a second population of larvae, emerged from the second population of eggs, at the fifth time;
• and
• at a sixth time succeeding the fifth time by a fourth target duration:
• harvesting the first fly population from the first cage;
• and
• depositing a second fly population, grown from the second population of larvae in the repopulation module, in the first cage in the feeder module.

A system comprising:

• a set of modules comprising:
• a feeder module transiently arranged in a first region of a facility and defining a first array of cage slots assigned to feeder cages containing adult fly populations genetically modified to generate amounts of a first target compound;
• an incubator module transiently arranged in a second region of the facility and defining a second array of cage slots configured to receive incubator cages containing populations of fly eggs configured to transform into populations of fly larvae;
• a treatment module transiently arranged in a third region of the facility and defining a third array of cage slots configured to receive incubator cages containing populations of fly larvae;
• and
• a repopulation module transiently arranged in a fourth region of the facility and defining a fourth array of cage slots configured to receive repopulation cages containing population of fly larvae configured to transform into populations of adult flies;
• a suite of sensors configured to output signals representing environmental conditions at the set of modules and comprising a first set of sensors coupled to the feeder module, a second set of sensors coupled to the incubator module, a third set of sensors coupled to the treatment module, and a fourth set of sensors coupled to the repopulation module;
• a suite of environmental controls configured to regulate environmental conditions within the facility and comprising a first set of environmental controls installed in the first region, a second set of environmental controls installed in the second region, a third set of environmental controls installed in the third region, and a fourth set of environmental controls installed in the fourth region;
• a set of robotic manipulators configured to transiently retrieve cages from the set of modules, transfer cages between modules in the set of modules, and locate cages within the set of modules;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• coordinate motion of the set of robotic manipulators according to a schedule defined for fly populations genetically modified to generate the first target compound;
• based on signals output by the first set of sensors, selectively trigger actuation of the first set of environmental controls to regulate environmental conditions at the feeder module according to a target set of feeder conditions defined for the feeder module and configured to promote deposition of eggs by adult flies in feeder cages;
• based on signals output by the second set of sensors, selectively trigger actuation of the second set of environmental controls to regulate environmental conditions at the incubator module according to a target set of incubator conditions defined for the incubator module and configured to promote transformation of fly eggs into fly larvae in incubator cages;
• based on signals output by the third set of sensors, selectively trigger actuation of the third set of environmental controls to regulate environmental conditions at the treatment module according to a target set of treatment conditions defined for the treatment module and configured to promote generation of the first target compound in fly larvae;
• and
• based on signals output by the fourth set of sensors, selectively trigger actuation of the fourth set of environmental controls to regulate environmental conditions at the repopulation module according to a target set of growth conditions defined for the repopulation module and configured to promote growth of fly larvae into adult flies.