APIX BIOSCIENCES

APIX Biosciences NV announces new advances in Honeybee Nutrition

WINGENE, Belgium, Aug. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Belgian agri-technology company APIX Biosciences NV, active in Europe and the United States, proudly announces the publication in Nature, by APIX Biosciences’ Scientific Founder Prof. Geraldine Wright and her team, on the production of plant-sterols in a yeast synthetic biology platform and the role of these phytosterols in honeybee nutrition (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09431-y). APIX is pleased to have acquired and integrated this technology in its portfolio of technologies.

“Sterols are one of many nutrient classes honeybees require in their diet. This publication describes how to genetically engineer yeast to make phytosterols. Experiments feeding these yeasts to honeybees shows that the presence of these sterols can improve their reproduction,” says APIX Biosciences’ Chairman Thierry Bogaert. “This confirms and extends the work that APIX Biosciences NV published last May in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B using these phytosterols produced through chemical synthesis (https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.3078)”.

APIX Biosciences NV, a privately held life sciences company based in Belgium, has developed a complete Pollen Replacing Feed for honeybees to mitigate the recurring shortages of adequate pollen to feed honeybees, a livestock that is essential for the pollination of many crops. Large-scale field tests in winter survival trials by leading commercial beekeepers show that the APIX feed reduces colony mortality by 50% compared to diets that are current standard practice. The APIX Pollen Replacing Feed offers beekeepers and growers of crops that are pollinated by honeybees a fundamental solution to the chronic undernutrition of bee populations. 

“The Pollen Replacing Feed that APIX Biosciences has exhaustively field tested and that it targets to launch in the USA in 2026 does not use the synthetic biology technology developed in the publication published in Nature today,” comments Jan Bogaert, CEO APIX Biosciences.

“APIX Nutrition llc, a wholly owned subsidiary of APIX Biosciences NV, was proud to be industrial partner of this research via BBSRC iCase grant (BB/M011224/1),” concludes Jan Bogaert, CEO of APIX Biosciences. “APIX Biosciences continuously adds to its portfolio of ingredients, tools and technology and continuously invests in improving its Pollen Replacing Feed over time.”

About APIX Biosciences NV
APIX Biosciences is a Belgian agri-technology company headquartered in Wingene Belgium, with operations in Europe and the United States. The company has developed an advanced, science-based Pollen Replacing Feed product for honeybees. This offers a fundamental solution to the chronic undernutrition of bee populations in North America and Europe—an important factor in the decline of pollinators. In doing so, APIX Biosciences is contributing to sustainable beekeeping and global food security.

Press Contact:

Jan Bogaert – CEO – APIX Biosciences NV
Email: Jan.Bogaert@apixbiosciences.com
Phone: +32 495 57 75 33

Wim Goemaere – CFO – APIX Biosciences NV
Email: Wim.Goemaere@apixbiosciences.com
Phone: +32 475 95 12 04