Bees offer clean alternative to chemicals
WHEN Veronica HarwoodStevenson gambled her life savings on research into a rare species of bee, she had no way of knowing whether it would pay off.
The 33yearold New Zealander, a reproductive biologist, had a hunch that the cellophanelike substance in which the Hylaeus bee breeds its larvae could replace toxic chemicals used in plastics.
The idea set her on a completely new life path.
After she chased around rugged bush to catch specimens, tests revealed that as well as being waterproof, the bee’s nest lining was resistant to fire and certain acids, giving it a wide range of potential uses.
Plastics are commonly treated with chemicals to change their properties, waterproofing them in products such as camping gear or making them fireresistant for firefighters’ jackets and construction tarps.
Those chemicals are drawing scrutiny from environmentalists concerned about the danger they pose to health. Some studies have linked bisphenol A (BPA), used to stiffen plastic food containers, to possible effects such as cancer and heart disease, although this is disputed.
Enter Humble Bee, a Wellingtonbased startup that has raised $320,000 in private funding and a $120,000 government grant since its inception in 2011.
Dissecting the minute bee to extract its microscopic glands has allowed Humble Bee to chart a chemical pathway to replicate the precious nest lining. But extracting the genetic code behind the material, the company’s current focus, holds more promise, as it would make it cheaper to manufacture and the price more competitive, HarwoodStevenson said.
She hopes the final product will go on sale within five years and have a commercial and social impact. — Thomson Reuters Foundation