Honey Bee Probiotics
Increasing resistance to pathogens through the gut microbiota
Probiotics in honey bees to fight bacterial and fungal pathogens
Development & implementation of innovative probiotics as low-cost & chemical-free treatments to prevent honey bee diseases
Honey bee diseases in Australia
Australia is relatively free from many diseases that afflict honey bees globally - however, it is important that we mitigate pathogens we do have, such as chalkbrood and European foulbrood
Probiotics can lower pathogen loads in honey bees
It is hard to predict what pathogens will infect hives, so a broad-spectrum treatment is needed
Be the best you can bee
Probiotics might help to increase memory and navigation skills and allow honey bees to become better pollinators
Helping Australia's food security
65% of Australia's agricultural crops require pollination to thrive.
Bee health = food security!
Got a hive and want to bee involved?
Contact georgina.binns@mq.edu.au to get more information on the project
Media Articles
Australian Honey Bee Industry Council - "Probiotics to help defend crop-pollinating honeybees from common diseases" - Georgina Binns, online Jan 2023: https://honeybee.org.au/probiotics-to-help-defend-crop-pollinating-honeybees-from-common-diseases/
Macadamia Growers Association Bulletin - "Probiotics to help defend crop-pollinating honeybees from common diseases" - Georgina Binns, (Members-only access) Mar 2023
Amateur Beekeepers Australia Newsletter - "Probiotics Research Underway" - Georgina Binns, online June 2023: https://www.beekeepers.asn.au/news/2023/6/24/the-amateur-beekeeper-june-2023
New South Wales Apiarist's Association Honeybee News - "Probiotics to help defend crop-pollinating honeybees from common diseases" - Georgina Binns, (Subscribers-only access) July - Aug 2023
Professional Beekeepers - ExtensionAUS website - "Can probiotics help with bee health and behaviour?" - Georgina Binns, online Jan 2024: https://extensionaus.com.au/professionalbeekeepers/can-probiotics-help-with-bee-health-and-behaviour/
Research Publications
probiotics for bees - Macademia Bulletin March 2023.pdfResearch Team
Primary Investigator: Assoc. Prof. Fleur Ponton https://pontonlab.wordpress.com/
Assoc. Prof. Ajay Narendra https://ecologicalneuroscience.com/about/ajay-narendra/
Dr. Théotime Colin
Dr. Sasha Tetu
Post-Doc Fellow: Dr. Darsh Rathnayake
Research Officer: Dr. Georgina Binns https://www.georginaebinns.com
Research Assistant: Casey Forster
This research is funded by Hort Innovation and Macquarie University.
The research advancement will ultimately support the Hort Frontiers Pollination Fund which aims to ensure sustainability through cutting-edge research in pollination and practice.
