Science updates: Edible antiviral therapeutics for bees

 

Science updates:

Edible antiviral therapeutics for bees

The document titled "Green biomanufacturing of edible antiviral therapeutics for managed pollinators" presents a study on the development of an antiviral platform for bees using an edible cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973. The research aims to address the significant declines in managed bee populations due to RNA viruses, which pose a threat to global food security. By engineering the cyanobacterial biomass to induce RNA interference (RNAi) immune responses in bees, the study demonstrates the potential to suppress viral infection and improve survival in honey bees.

 

The research highlights the importance of pollination in maintaining biodiversity and agricultural crop production, emphasizing the critical role of bees, both managed and wild, in this ecosystem service. The study's findings offer a sustainable and versatile therapeutic approach that can be directly incorporated into supplemental feeds for managed pollinators, thereby mitigating viruses and supporting global food security.

 

Furthermore, the study outlines the development and testing of antiviral strains targeting deformed wing virus (DWV), a significant pathogen linked to the decline of honey bee colonies worldwide. The engineered cyanobacterial treatments were found to significantly reduce DWV levels and enhance bee survival, indicating the potential for sequence-specific antiviral RNAi against DWV. The research also addresses the potential impact of the designed therapeutic on entire bee colonies and crop pollination efficiency, while emphasizing the necessity for further research to understand the persistence of antiviral effects, potential off-target effects, and the cost-benefit analysis of extended immune activation in bees. The study concludes by highlighting the scalability and sustainability of using cyanobacteria as biofactories for edible therapeutics, offering promising implications for protecting bee colonies against emerging pathogen threats and enhancing bee health.

 

 

 In summary, this study offers valuable insights into the development of a novel antiviral platform for managed pollinators, particularly honey bees, using an engineered edible cyanobacterium. The research has significant implications for mitigating bee viruses, supporting global food security, and addressing the challenges associated with colony declines linked to RNA viruses and parasitic mites. Additionally, the study provides a foundation for future research to explore the broader impact of the designed therapeutic on bee colonies and crop pollination efficiency, while emphasizing the need for biocontainment precautions and further investigations into potential off-target effects and cost-benefit analysis.

Reference:

Ricigliano, V. A., McMenamin, A., Martin Ewert, A., Adjaye, D., Simone-Finstrom, M., & Rainey, V. P. (2024). Green biomanufacturing of edible antiviral therapeutics for managed pollinators. npj Sustainable Agriculture, 2(1), 4.

 

 

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