Dr. Aaron T. Dossey – All Things Bugs
Aaron T. Dossey, a biochemist and molecular biologist who created All Things Bugs, poses for a portrait holding a sample of his whole cricket powder in Athens, Ga., on Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. Dossey performs much of his research and development for eco-friendly technologies from insects, including his protein-rich, whole cricket powder, at his home in Athens. (PHOTO: © 2014 Randy Schafer, randy.drum.schafer@gmail.com)

The ingredients for a protein bar can include the following: peanuts, fruit, soy and now — bugs.

Aaron Dossey, founder and sole employee of Athens-based All Things Bugs, is seeking to change the protein game with his patent-pending process that turns insects into a healthy powder ingredient.

Bugs are a good source of protein, higher than other animal products, and are more sustainable than larger animals. So, the idea of eating bugs, although foreign to Americans, could soon catch on, and Dossey wants to lead the way.

“This is a healthy product, starts as a clean product and it’s sustainable,” he said.

Dossey said his product came about from a passion for entomology, the study of insects, a fascination that he has held since he was a boy.

“I would say I’ve always been kind of the kid of the outfield in tee ball looking at flowers and bees and stuff,” Dossey said. “I always learned about plants and things and it particularly really caught on in high school when I had to do insect collection for honors zoology and biology.”

Dossey continued his education in biochemistry at Oklahoma State University and received his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Florida. After what seemed like an eternity of postdoctoral research that was leading to nothing, he found an opportunity to enter the protein field with his obsession of bugs that remained present throughout his college years.

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