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Increasing resistance to pathogens through the gut microbiota
Probiotics in honey bees to fight bacterial and fungal pathogens
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
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
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
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
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?
Got a hive and want to bee involved?
Contact georgina.binns@mq.edu.au to get more information on the project
Media Articles
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/
Talking Avocados - Avocados Australia - "The use of honeybee probiotics to boost health and pollination behaviour" - Georgina Binns, (Subscribers-only access) Autumn edition 2024
Australian Honey Bee Industry Council - "Can Probiotics help defend honeybees from common diseases? Project Update August 2024" - Georgina Binns, online August 2024: https://honeybee.org.au/can-probiotics-help-defend-honeybees-from-common-diseases-project-update-august-2024/?edition=
Amateur Beekeepers Australia Newsletter - "Can probiotics help defend honeybees from common diseases?" - Georgina Binns, online October 2024: https://www.beekeepers.asn.au/news/2024/10/7/the-amateur-beekeeper-october-november-2024
Mango Matters - Australian Mangoes - "Could Probiotics help boost honeybee health and pollination behaviour?" - Georgina Binns, online February 2025: https://www.industry.mangoes.net.au/mango-matters/mango-matters-summer-2425/
Australian Berry Journal - Berries Australia - "Probiotics to help pollinators be the best they can 'bee'." - Georgina Binns, online March 2025: https://issuu.com/berriesaustralia/docs/australian_berry_journal_autumn_2025_-_edition_2?fr=sNDYyYjY1MTI4MzU
Research Publications
Research Publications
Research Team
Research Team
Primary Investigator: Assoc. Prof. Fleur Ponton https://sites.google.com/view/ecoimmunologylab/home?authuser=0
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.
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