Faced with the global decline of honeybees, a team of researchers led by Professor Geraldine Wright, from the University of Oxford, has developed a biotechnological superfood that could revolutionize the way these key insects for food security and ecosystem health are protected.
### Pollinators at risk: habitat loss, diseases, and nutritional stress
Honeybees contribute to 70% of the pollination of essential crops.
Bees face multiple threats: nutritional deficiencies, viruses, climate change, and loss of floral habitat.
In countries like the United States, annual colony losses range between 40% and 50%, while in the United Kingdom, beekeepers like Nick Mensikov report losses of up to 75% during recent winters, even with well-stocked hives.
### The nutritional challenge: sterols, proteins, and micronutrients
The new food contains the six essential sterols for bee development.
Bees feed on pollen and nectar, which provide them with proteins, lipids, and micronutrients. However, traditional supplements – based on protein flour, sugar, and water – do not meet their nutritional needs.
The Oxford team managed to synthesize key sterols through genetically modified yeasts after 15 years of research.
### Promising results: more offspring and better hive health
Colonies fed with the superfood produced up to 15 times more adult bees.
During three months of laboratory tests, colonies that received the superfood showed significantly higher reproduction rates.
The bees also showed better overall health and lower susceptibility to diseases, which could be crucial in early summers when plants stop flowering prematurely.
### Bee cuisine: applied science with household tools
Ph.D. student Jennifer Chennells showed how the food is prepared in the laboratory: molded mixes in white tubes that bees actively nibble on.
The formula is adjusted according to preferences and observed benefits, combining functional nutrition and animal behavior.
### Next steps: large-scale trials and commercial application
The supplement could be available to beekeepers and farmers in two years.
The study, conducted in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark, now seeks to validate the long-term effects under real conditions.
If the results are confirmed, the superfood could become a key tool for beekeeping resilience.
