1181
Scientists uncovered the nutrients bees were missing — Colonies surged 15-fold (www.sciencedaily.com)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
194 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Using CRISPR-Cas9, scientists engineered a yeast to produce the nutrient feed. Farmers could have it in two years.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 86 points 5 months ago (5 children)

So they solved a problem we create ourselves, by destroying nature, by making a product that now increases the cost of food and makes farmers even more dependent on corporate chemical companies to grow it.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 10 child comments
    •
  • [–] 29 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    Yep, you can't charge money in perpetuity if you solve the actual problem. Not only that, but bees will eventually become reliant on the product. This is how the US Healthcare system works as well.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    Hell they might even genetically engineer them to be dependent on it.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 22 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 child)

    The GOOD news is that yeast doesn't really respect property lines. Or quarantines. Or much of anything. That shit will spread organically easily enough. It will be a while, but now that the strain exists (and is being constantly refreshed with the corpro product) it should help all bees everywhere. Maybe bees will start farming it like ants do. Would be fun

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 19 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    So does Monsanto with their GMO crops and they successfully sue farmers for having it, whose farms were invaded by it. I don't see it as good news when a company can't control their IP. They'll criminalize possession and use that to drive weak competitors out all together. These people are psychopaths.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 5 months ago

    Forgive me, it's not good news that a company has it. That's evil and they will destroy people lives. BUT the yeast exists now. When we die out because we are unimaginably stupid, that yeast is likely to live on and help the bees to do so as well. The bees i more worried about because they don't love heat

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent