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| − | <h4><a href="#Introduction">Introduction</a></h4>
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| − | <a href="#Bee T">Bee T</a>
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| − | <section id="Introduction"> | + | <h1><b>Abstract</b></h1> |
| − | | + | <p> The abundance and diversity of our food relies on honeybee pollination. <i>Varroa destructor</i> mites weaken bee colonies through the spread of disease. Our team aims to save bees by killing <i>Varroa</i> using bacteria inside beehives. In continuous conversation with beekeepers and scientists we develop a bacterium that targets mites, leaving bees and humans unaffected. The hive-localized bacteria sense <i>Varroa</i> and produce mite-specific toxin, eliminating the need for beekeepers to dose the product. The bacteria are dependent on a synthetic amino acid and are shut down by light to confine them to the hive. Additionally, we develop an <i>in vitro</i> test of <i>Varroa</i> toxicity to show the utility of our bacterium. The system is modeled in various ways to assess its viability in the real world. This is the first effective method to combine specificity, ease of use, safety through bio-containment, and the iGEM open source character to save the honeybee. |
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| − | <h2><b>Introduction</b></h2>
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| − | <p> Honeybees are incredibly important pollinators, responsible for the abundance and diversity of our food. Unfortunately, honeybees are in trouble: <i>Varroa destructor</i>, a mite with a fitting name, weakens the bees and spreads diseases. <b>iGEM Wageningen UR 2016</b> aims to save the bees from <i>V. destructor</i> through the use of a very specific toxin that does not harm bees or humans. </p>
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| − | <p> Honeybees pollinate an enormous range of crops, which and they do so very quickly. This makes them very important for pollination of monocultures, where we get the majority of our food from. Because some crops like apples and almonds rely heavily on bee pollination, the diversity of our diet depends on the well-being of these insects. Therefore, it is of key importance to keep bees alive and healthy.</p>
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| − | <p> Unfortunately bees are not doing well at all. There has been a sustained loss of bee colonies in the western world for at least 10 years. Last year, <a href="https://beeinformed.org/results/colony-loss-2015-2016-preliminary-results">US beekeepers lost over 40% of their colonies!</a>Such numbers are unacceptable, especially when we consider the enormous relevance of bees for our food supply. </p>
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| − | <h2><i>Varroa destructor</i></h2>
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| − | <p> What causes the loss of bee colonies? According to the beekeepers we have spoken to, the most important factor is the mite <i>Varroa destructor</i>. These mites feed onsuck up haemolymph (‘bee-blood’) thereby weakening the bees, while also spreading serious diseases like the deformed wing virus. Beekeepers stressed that the first and most important step to save the bees should be to control <i>V. destructor</i> more effectively. </p>
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| − | <p> Currently, in the Netherlands and other European countries, beehives are treated against <i>V. destructor</i> with a combination of organic products such as thymol, formic acid and oxalic acid. During our conversations with beekeepers they mentioned that such compounds can be harmful to bees and humans when too high concentrations are used. On the other hand, too low concentrations fail to kill the mites and may facilitate resistance. Additionally, these compounds can contaminate the beeswax and the honey. </p> </section>
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| − | <h2><b>Bee T</b></h2>
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| − | <p>We propose a <i>Varroa</i> specific treatment through the use of engineered bacteria. The bacteria will produce a mite specific toxin that is not harmful to bees nor humans. To do so, the bacteria will employ a network of regulation mechanisms to produce the toxin only when mites are present and when enough bacteria are present to effectively kill the mite. Other mechanisms are intended to strictly confine the bacteria to the treated hive, preventing them from spreading and mixing with natural larger ecosystems.</p></section>
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| − | <section id="Specificity">
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| − | <h2><b>Specificity</b></h2>
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| − | <h2><b>Regulation</b></h2>
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| − | <h2><b>Safety</b></h2>
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| − | <h2>References</h2>
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| − | <a id="fn1" href=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966842X11001752>1.</a> Evans, J. D., & Schwarz, R. S. (2011). Bees brought to their knees: microbes affecting honey bee health. Trends in microbiology, 19(12), 614-620 <a href="#ref1" title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.">↩</a>
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