Scientists have developed a breakthrough “superfood” for honeybees by engineering yeast to produce the essential nutrients normally found in pollen. In controlled trials, colonies fed this specially designed diet produced up to 15 times more young, showing a dramatic boost in reproduction and overall health. As climate change and modern agriculture reduce the availability of natural pollen, this innovation could offer a practical way to support struggling bee populations.

Using CRISPR-Cas9, scientists engineered a yeast to produce the nutrient feed. Farmers could have it in two years.

  • cobysev@lemmy.worldEnglish
    67·
    13 hours ago

    Note for those passing through and not reading articles:

    This is not a summary of the article, but OP’s suggestion for a solution. The article talks about creating a yeast product that’s lacking in bees’ diet due to climate change and a lack of diversity in flowers.

    OP suggests combatting the effects climate change has on biodiversity by planting your own diverse flowers. Which may work, or climate change may just kill those too.

      • Anivia@feddit.orgEnglish
        2·
        4 hours ago

        Yeah, the government subsidy for that was so high that it was more profitable than growing grain on the field (which is admittedly not hard, since he made a loss on his grain fields)