See how we considered the United Nations SDGs #2 and #15.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of creating and sustaining a better future for all life on earth. They look at the social, economic, and ecological global challenges and provide actionable steps towards improving the quality of life for all individuals.1
We all have a responsibility as citizens of the earth to work towards these goals in however we can. Our team sees the potential that synthetic biology has to be a tool to help society get closer to each SDG.
From benefiting conservation efforts, diagnostic measures, and scientific education, emerging research in this sector has been created with the intention of improving lives for the greater good.
However, each emergent technology must be looked at from all angles, exploring every ethical concern and ensuring that all voices of those impacted are heard.
Our team acknowledges the current barriers in place preventing us from reaching our ideal world, and have worked hard to make our technology a tool that can alleviate the issues and create solutions pertaining to a few SDGs. By having meaningful conversations with stakeholders, we have addressed both the positive and potential negative impacts this technology could have on human and environmental health.
We have worked hard to make our technology a tool that can create solutions pertaining to a few SDGs. By having meaningful conversations with stakeholders, we addressed both the positive and potential negative impacts this technology could have on human and environmental health.
Food Insecurity is the inadequate access to food of necessary quality and quantity, due to the lack of available finances.
45% of Canadian households are food insecure.
Food is a basic human need for wellbeing.
Food insecurity is a catalyst for other related problems like poor health.
With this important resource being unavailable to certain households, this becomes
an issue; a cause for action.
More food banks are added and funded each year, but those are only band-aids to a bigger problem. Food banks have limited capacity, and only 1 in 4 food insecure households are able to rely on them. How can we help the other 75%?
Increase income-based social programs like social assistance, employment
insurance, and old-age pensions are better solutions to the problem. A study
in 2022 found that the number of food bank users with employment increased,
showing that employment does not guarantee financial security. Enacting
policies to increase minimum wages ensures people’s basic needs are met.
These solutions address the root of the problem, and provide safety nets
for families below the poverty line.
This issue is exacerbated by increased prices at grocery stores that make it harder for low-income households to afford meals.
These points all play a role in the bigger issue, but the one within the scope ImmuniBee is the alleviation of reduced crop yields.
Bad weather and climate conditions like heatwaves and droughts are prevalent in the farming regions across the country. Not only does this affect plant health, but pollinator health as well. Pollination contributes to the sexual reproduction of plants, with over ⅓ of global crop production depending on pollinators.6 Insects like butterflies, wasps, flies, ants, and bees, play important roles in agriculture.
Not all crops depend on pollinators the same way. Some fruit crops and nuts are highly pollinator-dependent while cereals and legumes are not to the same degree.7 However, it is common practice for farmers to grow cover crops like clover between rows of wheat, for bees to pollinate and improve soil quality.
Studies have shown that we are becoming more dependent on pollinators for agricultural and economical reasons. It is estimated that crop production in developed countries would fall by ~ 5%; and in developing countries by ~8%. These numbers might seem low but many lower income countries rely on those crops for trade and export.6
Yet, Canada saw it’s biggest lose of managed bee colonies in 2022, with the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) reporting a national loss of 45.5% over the winter, with provincial losses ranging from 15.3% to 57.2%. This was twice the average of annual losses reported from 2007 to 2021.8
This evidence shows that pollinator shortage negatively impacts fruit and seed quality, crop quantities, and the stability of our food systems.
What is ImmuniBee doing to fix this?
In many regions of the world, honeybees are kept for honey production and
pollination purposes. We have illustrated the strong link between pollinator
populations and crop yields. The deformed wing virus impacts their cognitive and
pollinating abilities. Improving their wellbeing equips honeybee populations with an
advantage against the virus, helping
them maintain their vital pollinating capabilities.
Our conversation with Lisa St. Laurent, a beekeeper from Arlo's Honey farm,
highlighted how dependent agriculture in the Okanagan is on pollination.
Anthropogenic activities pose threats to us and our planet.
As humans, our relationship with nature is crucial for all life on land. Yet, may human activities have been detrimental to the health of animals, insects, plants, and general ecosystems.
Goal #15 urges us to maintain ecosystems and natural habitats, increase biodiversity, and protect exsisting creatures.
With the help of synthethic biology, ImmuniBee works towards this goal by prioritizing, conserving, and serving terrestrial pollinator ecosystems. Additionally, the team has made extra efforts outside of synthetic biology to show our commitment to this UN Goal.
The Western Honeybee, Apis mellifera are native to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.10 The global distribution of honeybees to North America and other parts of the world in the 1600s lead to a widespread domestication of honey bees. Now, apiculture has been practiced for years, with the main purpose of harvesting bee products to be sold for commercial use.
Honey is a byproduct of honey bees pollinating flowers. They collect the nectar, regurgitate it into honeycombs, and seal it with wax. Since honey is used as a food source for honey bees in the winter, this illustrates a strong mutualistic relationship between flowers and bees.
However, is that the same between bees and humans?
Beekeeping on a commercial scale has increased over time, and in Canada, the economic harvest value of honey bee pollination is about $5.5 billion annually. 11Large-scale beekeeping involves managing numerous colonies, and it can be challenging to provide adequate care for each hive. This situation may result in bees residing in suboptimal conditions. To maximize profit, poorly performing hives are sometimes culled and replaced with new ones.12 In some cases, too much honey is harvested from the hives, leaving the bees with minimal resources to survive the winter. This forces the bees to overexert themselves to replenish the lost honey.
The apiculture businesses our team engaged with were local beekeepers primarily from the Okanagan and Alberta regions. Smaller-scale beekeeping operations tend to pay closer attention to the well-being of their bees and hives. During our interactions, we inquired about sustainable beekeeping practices and honey harvesting methods aimed at minimizing stress on bee populations. These discussions showed us the significance of advocating for local beekeeping businesses to encourage sustainable farming practices.
Is this the best we can do for honey bees?
Diseases represent just one part of the complex challenges that honey bee colonies face. These colonies are intricately entwined with various environmental variables, including weather, flower availability, and human activities. The interplay of these stressors is intricate, making it challenging to pinpoint the most significant contributors to bee health. generating...
Furthermore, among the pathogens affecting honey bees, viruses pose the biggest threats to their heath. generating... Beyond DWV, colonies can fall victim to other viral infections such as Sacbrood virus, Black Queen cell virus, and Acute bee paralysis virus. Our synthetic biology approach combined with Trans-generational Immune Priming, could mark the beginning of a novel line of technologies with the potential to tackle various other viral threats to bee populations.
Introducing invasive species will always cause effects to native species in that region. When insufficient flowering resources are available, honeybees might compete with wild bees for those resources, leading to a decline in wild bee biodiversity. Furthermore, research has revealed that flowers can serve as potential transfer sites for honey bee viruses to native populations, increasing their exposure to these viruses. generating...
Beyond viruses, native bees face similar challenges due to urbanization, habitat loss, climate change, and pesticides. Both wild and managed bee populations are on the decline, yet most research and funding for improving pollinator habitats primarily focus on honey bees, often overlooking their native counterparts.
How is ImmuniBee committing to helping native bees?
By treating honeybee populations with ImmuniBee, we are reducing the viral quantities in the ecosystem, thereby decreasing the spillover effect and transmission from honeybees to wild bees. Containment of our vaccine within honeybee populations is possible, as we are killing the bacteria and removing its ability to reproduce in the wild.
Commercial beekeeping has an economical role in many countries, and thus can’t be eradicated. Honeybees will have to exist in the same regions as wild bees. Thus, how can we serve ALL bee populations?
Our team met with the Founder of Bee City Canada, a national organization dedicated to pollinator conservation. As we work towards becoming a Bee Campus, we are actively working with campus employees to establish a Pollinator Trail, featuring strategically staggered blooming flowers along a well-traveled path. These flowers have been selected for their native diversity, designed to cater to a broad spectrum of pollinators, from bees and birds to butterflies. Educational signage will be installed as a vital component, highlighting the various pollinator species present, thus challenging the misconception that honey bees are the sole pollinators. This initiative aims to boost floral diversity on our campus, ultimately enhancing biodiversity and fostering a vibrant ecosystem.
The Okanagan alone boasts around 350 species of bees native to this region. All bees can live in harmony, given that there is flora and conservation efforts to go around.
Life on Land refers to all terrestrial life forms.
Much like the honey bee, varroa mites are non-native to North America. Globalization and the importation of bees from Asia introduced the varroa mite to this region. generating...
Varroa mites are serious pests for honey bees, causing significant harm and leading to the collapse of entire hives if left untreated. While Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies aim to minimize environmental harm in pest control, there is currently no IPM solution for Varroa due to its complex biology and beekeepers’ heavy reliance on chemical treatments like oxalic and formic acid. generating...
The question of whether it's the mites or the virus that harms bees is answered by saying it's both. The mites feed on bee pupae and adults' hemolymph (fat bodies), weakening their immune systems and causing premature deaths. They also transmit viruses to the bees that further impact their health.
With ImmuniBee, farmers will reduce their reliance on chemical management since the deaths resulting from mite infestations in hives will decrease as bees gain improved immunity to the virus. And with TGIP, this immunity would potentially be passed on to future broods, saving beekeepers from spending money on mite controls.
Ripley, A. Household Food Insecurity: It’s Not Just about Food. https://www.cpha.ca/household-food-insecurity-its-not-just-about-food#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20at%20least%2015.9,rate%20of%2057%25%20in%202018 (accessed 2023-10-11).
Administrator, P. New Data on Household Food Insecurity in 2022. https://proof.utoronto.ca/2023/new-data-on-household-food-insecurity-in-2022/ (accessed 2023-10-8).
Tarsuk, V.; McIntyre, L. Food Insecurity in Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/food-insecurity-in-canada (accessed 2023-10-8).
Lavin, J. Why Are Prices so High in Canada? https://www.forbes.com/advisor/ca/investing/why-are-prices so-high/ (accessed 2023-10-8).
Fradella, A. Behind the Numbers: What’s Causing Growth in Food Prices. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/62f0014m/62f0014m2022014-eng.htm (accessed 2023-10-8).
DONE
Ritchie, H. How Much of the World’s Food Production Is Dependent on Pollinators? https://ourworldindata.org/pollinator-dependence (accessed 2023-10-8).
Ferland, J.; Kempers, M.; Kennedy, K.; Kozak, P.; Lafreniére, R.; Maund, C.; Menzies, C.; Mesher, C.; Muirhead, S.; Nasr, M.; Pernal, S.; Sproule, J.; van Westendorp, P.; Wilson, G. Statement on Honey Bee Wintering Losses in Canada (2022). https://capabees.com/shared/CAPA-Statement-on-Colony-Losses 2021-2022-FV.pdf (accessed 2023-10-8).
Goals, G. Goal 15: Life on Land. https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/15-life-on-land/ (accessed 2023-10-8).
Han, F.; Wallberg, A.; Webster, M. T. From Where Did the Western Honeybee (Apis Mellifera)Originate? Ecology and Evolution 2012, 2 (8), 1949–1957. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.312.
Sigil, B. Canada’s Bees Need Our Love. And Not Just the Honey Bees. MONTECRISTO. https://montecristomagazine.com/magazine/volume-15/bees-need-love-not-just-honey-bees#:~:text=Most%20people%20think%20of%20honey (accessed 2023-10-8).
Jack, C. J.; Ellis, J. D. Integrated Pest Management Control of Varroa Destructor (Acari: Varroidae), the Most Damaging Pest of (Apis Mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) Colonies. Journal of Insect Science 2021, 21 (5). https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieab058.
Ethics, A. Exploitation of bees by humans. Animal Ethics. https://www.animal-ethics.org/exploitation-of-bees-by-humans/ (accessed 2023-10-8).
More, S.; Bampidis, V.; Benford, D.; Bragard, C.; Halldorsson, T.; Hernández‐Jerez, A.; Bennekou, S. H.; Koutsoumanis, K.; Machera, K.; Naegeli, H.; Nielsen, S. S.; Schlatter, J.; Schrenk, D.; Silano, V.; Turck, D.; Younes, M.; Arnold, G.; Dorne, J.; Maggiore, A.; Pagani, S. A Systems‐Based Approach to the Environmental Risk Assessment of Multiple Stressors in Honey Bees. EFSA Journal 2021, 19 (5). https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6607.
Pritchard, Z. A.; Hendriksma, H. P.; St Clair, A. L.; Stein, D. S.; Dolezal, A. G.; O’Neal, M. E.; Toth, A. L. Do Viruses from Managed Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Endanger Wild Bees in Native Prairies? Environmental Entomology 2021, 50 (2), 455–466. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa181.