Over 40% of invertebrate pollinator species are threatened with extinction globally. At the same time, antimicrobial resistance is making human infections increasingly difficult to treat. These may seem like separate problems, but the answers to both could be hiding in the same place: inside a bee nest.
Dr Kenya Fernandes studies how bees, the bacteria and fungi living inside their nests, and their environment interact to keep each other thriving. Her research is revealing how these natural partnerships protect bees and shape the chemistry of the hive – uncovering new ways to protect pollinators, ecosystems, and human health.
2026