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Bacteria from the microbiome of honeybees have been genetically modified to protect the insects against lethal infections, which could help with the recovery of hives.
European honeybees (Apis mellifera) are vital pollinators, but numerous factors such as disease and pests are slashing their numbers. A major concern for most bee species is colony collapse disorder, a global phenomenon that has wiped out large numbers of hives in recent years.
Sean Leonard and his colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin used a technique called RNA interference (RNAi) to tackle two of the …
