Bees Saved By Yeast

Bees play a crucial role in our food system by pollinating many crops like apples and almonds. However, recent declines in honeybee colonies have been linked to several problems, including malnutrition. While beekeepers often feed bees pollen substitutes when natural pollen is scarce, these feeds usually lack important nutrients, especially sterols. Sterols are fat-like molecules essential for healthy bee development, especially for the growth of young bees. Without enough sterols, bee colonies struggle, which threatens the pollination of many crops.

Scientists have now used biotechnology to address this problem by engineering a common industrial yeast to produce all six sterols that bees require. Yeast is a type of single-celled fungus widely used in baking and brewing because it grows fast and is easy to manipulate genetically. In this case, researchers modified the yeast’s genetic instructions so it could synthesize sterols found naturally in pollen. Think of it as programming the yeast cells with new “recipes” so they make bee-friendly nutrients instead of their usual compounds. The genetically engineered yeast is grown in large fermentation tanks—like industrial-sized brewing vats—where it multiplies and produces the sterols. The yeast is then dried into a powder, creating a convenient and concentrated bee food supplement. This yeast supplement closely mimics the natural pollen’s nutritional profile in terms of sterol content.

In experiments feeding whole honeybee colonies, those receiving the engineered yeast supplement were able to raise up to 15 times more larvae than colonies fed standard diets. These colonies also kept producing healthy young bees much longer. Biochemical tests showed that the bees consuming the engineered yeast had sterol levels in their bodies similar to those of bees eating high-quality natural pollen.

This approach is powerful because it uses synthetic biology—the design and construction of new biological parts—to create a sustainable, large-scale source of essential bee nutrients. Even when flowers and natural pollen are scarce due to habitat loss or farming practices, bees can still get a complete, balanced diet. This helps safeguard their health, the crops they pollinate, and ultimately the food we eat.

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