In a promising development for struggling honeybee populations, University of Oxford researchers have created an engineered yeast supplement that dramatically boosts colony reproduction in controlled trials. The supplement, described in an August 20, 2025, Nature publication, addresses a critical nutrient gap in bees’ diets caused by declining floral diversity. The Missing Ingredients Climate change and agricultural intensification have reduced the variety of flowers available to honeybees, depriving them of essential nutrients found in pollen. Current commercial pollen substitutes—made from protein flour, sugars, and oils—lack crucial compounds called sterols that bees need for development. “For bees, the difference between the sterol-enriched … Continue reading Bee Population Rescue: Oxford’s Engineered Yeast Sterols Help Colonies Multiply 15x Amid 55.6% Loss Crisis