We’re saving the bees

Finding asolution to the dying honeybee population is a vital goal for scientists at the University of British Columbia, as commercial bee pollination contributes an estimated $4.6 billion to the Canadian economy (and, you know, helps produce enough food for the human race to survive). “We’re trying to selectively breed for traits that are valuable to us,” says UBC molecular biologist Dr. Leonard Foster—these future breeds will hopefully be resistant to disease, produce more honey and be better able to survive Canadian winters.