- Scientists in Oxford have developed a new food supplement for bees using a genetically engineered yeast strain.
- This yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, produces vital sterols that are absent in current artificial pollen substitutes used by beekeepers.
- The breakthrough aims to help honeybees live longer and stem the decline in wild bee populations, which are crucial for pollinating major global crops.
- A three-month trial showed that colonies fed the sterol-enriched yeast reared up to 15 times more larvae and for significantly longer periods.
- Researchers hope the supplement could be available to farmers within two years, potentially reducing competition between bee species for natural floral resources.
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