Difference between revisions of "Team:UAlberta"
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| − | <p>Honeybees are <strong>integral</strong> to modern-day life as they contribute economically through honey production | + | <p>Honeybees are <strong>integral</strong> to modern-day life as they contribute economically through honey production and they also help maintain biodiversity by pollinating native species. However, honeybees are susceptible to various pathogens which can compound and cause colony failure. <i>Nosema ceranae</i> is one such pathogen.</p> |
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| − | <p>The severity of <i>Nosema</i> and its impacts in Alberta have increased | + | <p>The severity of <i>Nosema</i> and its impacts in Alberta have increased this year as the only treatment available for <i>Nosema</i>, a fungicide called <strong>fumagillin</strong>, has been <strong>discontinued</strong>. Team UAlberta discovered this issue after speaking with members of the beekeeping community who expressed the grave need for a fumagillin alternative. Thus, Team UAlberta’s objective is to develop a solution that would address the loss of fumagillin.</p> |
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<p>Building off of information collected from our interviews with stakeholders in the beekeeping community and consulting published literature, we developed <strong>APIS: an Antifungal Porphyrin-based Intervention System</strong> for treating <i>Nosema</i> infections in honeybees. APIS aims to use engineered <i>Escherichia coli</i> to overproduce molecules, called <strong>porphyrins</strong>, which has been shown to damage <i>Nosema</i> spores. As a result, APIS presents a potential replacement for traditional fungicides and can be used as a preventative measure and treatment for <i>Nosema</i> infections.</p> | <p>Building off of information collected from our interviews with stakeholders in the beekeeping community and consulting published literature, we developed <strong>APIS: an Antifungal Porphyrin-based Intervention System</strong> for treating <i>Nosema</i> infections in honeybees. APIS aims to use engineered <i>Escherichia coli</i> to overproduce molecules, called <strong>porphyrins</strong>, which has been shown to damage <i>Nosema</i> spores. As a result, APIS presents a potential replacement for traditional fungicides and can be used as a preventative measure and treatment for <i>Nosema</i> infections.</p> | ||
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Revision as of 05:51, 17 October 2018
Combatting Nosema infections in honeybees with an Antifungal Porphyrin-based Intervention System (APIS)
Team UAlberta’s project aims to solve an impending threat to Alberta’s apiculture industry.
Honeybees are integral to modern-day life as they contribute economically through honey production and they also help maintain biodiversity by pollinating native species. However, honeybees are susceptible to various pathogens which can compound and cause colony failure. Nosema ceranae is one such pathogen.
Nosema ceranae is a fungal parasite that can infect the midgut of Western honeybees (Apis mellifera). Nosema infections can cause higher rates of mortality and can contribute to the death of entire honeybee colonies. Issues with Nosema can be heightened in cold areas like Alberta, Canada as their detrimental effects are aggravated by cold climates.
The severity of Nosema and its impacts in Alberta have increased this year as the only treatment available for Nosema, a fungicide called fumagillin, has been discontinued. Team UAlberta discovered this issue after speaking with members of the beekeeping community who expressed the grave need for a fumagillin alternative. Thus, Team UAlberta’s objective is to develop a solution that would address the loss of fumagillin.
The Big Picture
Building off of information collected from our interviews with stakeholders in the beekeeping community and consulting published literature, we developed APIS: an Antifungal Porphyrin-based Intervention System for treating Nosema infections in honeybees. APIS aims to use engineered Escherichia coli to overproduce molecules, called porphyrins, which has been shown to damage Nosema spores. As a result, APIS presents a potential replacement for traditional fungicides and can be used as a preventative measure and treatment for Nosema infections.
