A team of scientists at the University of Oxford may have just given honeybees a powerful lifeline.
In a new study, researchers unveiled an engineered food supplement that could help reverse the alarming decline of honeybee populations by giving them the nutrients they've been missing, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications reported.
Pollinators such as honeybees contribute to the production of over 70% of the world's food crops, from almonds to cherries and coffee.
But climate change, habitat loss, and industrial farming have stripped bees of the diverse pollen sources they need to survive. Many beekeepers have turned to artificial feeds, but these commercial substitutes lack vital nutrients, particularly sterols — plant-derived fats essential for bee growth and reproduction.
That's where the University of Oxford's innovation comes in. Working with the University of Greenwich and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the team used precision fermentation — the same technology behind many plant-based foods — to engineer a yeast that can produce the six key sterols bees require. This yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, is already used safely in aquaculture and was modified using CRISPR gene editing to mimic the nutrient profile of real pollen.
The controlled feeding trials yielded astonishing the results: Colonies fed with the yeast-based supplement reared up to 15 times more larvae than those fed standard diets. Even more impressively, their sterol levels matched those of bees foraging naturally, meaning the supplement delivers true biological nourishment, not just calories.
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"For bees, the difference between the sterol-enriched diet and conventional bee feeds would be comparable to the difference for humans between eating balanced, nutritionally complete meals and eating meals missing essential nutrients," said Dr. Elynor Moore, lead author of the study.
The discovery could be a game-changer for food security. U.S. commercial honeybee colonies have been losing 40-50% of their populations each year, threatening global crop production. By giving bees a nutritionally complete diet, this supplement could strengthen colonies against other stressors, from parasites to pesticides, without depleting natural floral resources.
The yeast-based supplement could also ease pressure on wild pollinators by reducing competition for pollen, which will help restore ecological balance. According to the Oxford researchers, large-scale field trials are already planned, and the product could reach beekeepers within two years.
This breakthrough joins a growing wave of climate-smart innovations transforming agriculture, from drought-resistant crops to startups like BeeHero using data and biology to protect pollinators and boost yields. If successful, Oxford's "superfood for bees" could help ensure the resilience of global food systems.
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