Colombian Scientists Develop Substance to Protect Bees from Chemicals
2024-10-29
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1Scientists in Colombia say they have developed a new food substance that protects bees from dangerous chemicals used in farming.
2They claim it will protect the insects' brains from neurological damage caused by chemicals called pesticides.
3As pollinators, bees are extremely important in the preservation of natural ecosystems and food production.
4The plant-based food substance enables bees to deal with neurotoxins commonly used in agriculture.
5It protects their motor system and memory harmed by the chemicals.
6Researchers at Colombia's Rosario University in Bogota developed the substance.
7They partnered with scientists from the Colombian Universidad Javeriana and the University of Arizona in the United States.
8"This is a nutritional solution to the problem bees face when exposed to pesticides," said Andre Riveros, a professor at Rosario University.
9Riveros explained that the food substance causes the bees to develop protection against pesticides.
10The substance is created with flavonoids, which are known for their health benefits.
11Flavonoids come from plants and are a kind of secondary metabolite. Secondary metabolites are substances made by plants that make them competitive in their environment.
12During the first round of testing, scientists put the bees to sleep and placed them into small laboratory tubes.
13Then, they fed the bees the substance one by one.
14Testing has now moved to real-world situations in a bee colony at the university, said Juan Jose Ovalle.
15He is a natural science student at Rosario University.
16"We already know that there are molecules that improve the bees' health. We already know that there are molecules that prevent neuronal damage caused by pesticides," Ovalle said.
17He added it was important to continue the work to increase the effectiveness of these methods to support bees.
18I'm Anna Matteo.
1Scientists in Colombia say they have developed a new food substance that protects bees from dangerous chemicals used in farming. They claim it will protect the insects' brains from neurological damage caused by chemicals called pesticides. 2As pollinators, bees are extremely important in the preservation of natural ecosystems and food production. 3The plant-based food substance enables bees to deal with neurotoxins commonly used in agriculture. It protects their motor system and memory harmed by the chemicals. 4Researchers at Colombia's Rosario University in Bogota developed the substance. They partnered with scientists from the Colombian Universidad Javeriana and the University of Arizona in the United States. 5"This is a nutritional solution to the problem bees face when exposed to pesticides," said Andre Riveros, a professor at Rosario University. Riveros explained that the food substance causes the bees to develop protection against pesticides. 6The substance is created with flavonoids, which are known for their health benefits. Flavonoids come from plants and are a kind of secondary metabolite. Secondary metabolites are substances made by plants that make them competitive in their environment. 7During the first round of testing, scientists put the bees to sleep and placed them into small laboratory tubes. Then, they fed the bees the substance one by one. 8Testing has now moved to real-world situations in a bee colony at the university, said Juan Jose Ovalle. He is a natural science student at Rosario University. 9"We already know that there are molecules that improve the bees' health. We already know that there are molecules that prevent neuronal damage caused by pesticides," Ovalle said. 10He added it was important to continue the work to increase the effectiveness of these methods to support bees. 11I'm Anna Matteo. 12Camilo Cohecha reported this story for Reuters from Bogota, Columbia. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 13_______________________________________________ 14Words in This Story 15neurological - adj. of, relating to, or affecting the nervous system 16pesticide - n. a substance used to destroy pests 17pollinator - n. something (as an insect) that pollinates flowers 18preservation - n. the activity or process of keeping something valued alive, intact, or free from damage or decay 19ecosystem - n. a system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions 20motor - n. of, relating to, or being a motor neuron or a nerve containing motor neurons : of, relating to, concerned with, or involving muscular movement 21exposed - v. not shielded or protected 22We want to hear from you in the Comments section. Our comment policy is here.