LOS ANGELES — The global insect protein industry is expanding rapidly as food producers, aquaculture companies, and pet food manufacturers explore alternative protein sources. Crickets are increasingly processed into protein flour for consumer products, black soldier fly larvae are being used to replace fishmeal in aquaculture feed, and mealworms have become a key ingredient in a growing category of premium pet foods. Industry forecasts project the insect protein market could reach $8 billion by 2030. While production capacity is scaling to meet demand, much of the operational infrastructure behind insect farms remains relatively manual. Many facilities still rely on spreadsheets,...

LOS ANGELES — Countertop fabrication shops across the United States often rely on manual processes when planning slab layouts, estimating jobs, and transferring files between digital systems. In many workshops, fabricators still arrange templates by hand on natural stone slabs to determine where cuts should be made, while remnants from previous jobs accumulate in storage areas due to inefficient material usage. SlabWise, available at https://slabwise.com, is an AI-powered countertop fabrication platform designed to improve slab nesting, quoting workflows, and file compatibility between templating and CNC programming systems. Fabrication shops using the platform report significant reductions in material waste and improvements...

LOS ANGELES — Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite about the size of a pinhead, but its impact on global beekeeping has been enormous. The mite attaches to honey bees, feeds on their fat bodies, weakens their immune systems, and transmits multiple viruses capable of collapsing entire colonies. Since its arrival in the United States in 1987, Varroa has been responsible for more managed honey bee colony losses than pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change combined. For beekeepers, managing Varroa infestations has become one of the most critical aspects of modern hive management. Yet many operations still rely on handwritten...

LOS ANGELES — A koi pond often appears calm and peaceful on the surface. Fish glide through the water while gentle ripples create a tranquil scene. Beneath that surface, however, a complex chemical system operates continuously, where small imbalances can quickly develop into serious risks for fish health. In a typical koi pond, ammonia is constantly produced through fish waste and decomposing food. Beneficial bacteria convert ammonia into nitrite, another toxic compound, before eventually converting it into nitrate. Meanwhile, water parameters such as pH can shift due to rainfall, plant activity, or changes in the water supply. Dissolved oxygen levels...

LOS ANGELES — Running a horse barn is a demanding, year-round operation where consistency and attention to detail directly affect animal welfare. From feeding schedules and medications to turnout routines and health observations, daily barn management involves hundreds of tasks that must be completed accurately every day. Yet many equestrian facilities have historically relied on whiteboards, handwritten notes, and group text messages to coordinate their staff and track daily responsibilities. Across thousands of barns, a familiar routine has long played out each morning. Barn managers arrive early, review whiteboards filled with abbreviations and dry-erase notes, and attempt to reconstruct what...

LOS ANGELES — The reptile breeding industry moves more money than most people realize. A single visual ball python with the right gene combination can sell for $5,000, $10,000, or more. Breeding pairs of high-end leopard geckos can command prices that surprise anyone outside the reptile community. At the commercial level, large-scale breeding operations ship thousands of animals every year to pet stores, online buyers, and reptile expos across the United States. Behind this growing industry is an enormous amount of data. Genetics, breeding pairings, incubation temperatures, clutch sizes, hatch rates, feeding records, and lineage documentation all play a crucial...