Honeybees are under stress from pests, disease and pesticides. As a result, large numbers die each year.
To preserve bee genetics for future generations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is creating a bee gene bank to store bee sperm and embryos. It’s something commonly done for humans and most domesticated animals, but it’s more challenging to freeze insect embryos and bring them back to life.
As Dan Gunderson from Minnesota Public Radio reports, the best scientists in the world at insect cryopreservation are in Fargo, North Dakota.
Reporter
- Dan Gunderson, reporter for Minnesota Public Radio. He tweets @gundersondan.
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