Saving bees with 'superfoods': new engineered supplement found to boost colony reproduction

Oxford University researchers have developed an innovative solution to address honeybee nutritional deficiencies using engineered yeast technology to create sterol-enriched supplements.

Climate change and intensive agriculture have reduced floral diversity, leaving honeybees malnourished despite commercial pollen substitutes. These artificial feeds lack essential sterols - lipid compounds crucial for bee development. The research team used CRISPR gene editing to engineer yeast that produces six key sterols bees need, creating a nutritionally complete supplement that dramatically improved colony health during three-month trials.

• Colonies fed sterol-enriched yeast reared up to 15 times more larvae to viable pupal stage compared to control groups
• Treated colonies continued brood production throughout the study period while control colonies ceased after 90 days
• The supplement could benefit wild bee species by reducing competition for limited natural pollen supplies
• Technology may be commercially available to farmers within two years, supporting global food security