Honeybee colony devastations across the nation have spurred on researchers to try and find new ways to save the honeybees. In an article published in the New Zealand Herald, researchers may have found a way to help save the honeybees! American Foulbrood (AFB) is a bacterial pathogen that quickly infects large colonies of honeybees in New Zealand, and due to laws banning the use of antibiotics to control the pathogen, beekeepers have had to take preventative measures to ensure continuation of honeybee colonies. Microbiologist Dr. Heather Hendrickson heads a new project to use viruses to prevent infection of honeybee hives. Dr. Hendrickson’s project involves isolating bacteriophages from the soil beneath the healthy hives and using simple viruses to infect AFB and destroy it from within. While it has not been field-tested yet, Hendrickson and her team are confident that the simple viruses will be able to destroy the pathogen and then naturally degrade over time leaving no residue on the honey. The research team is hoping to develop a product that incorporates the simple viruses and can be used by all New Zealand beekeepers.
-Meley
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