Bern University has set up a professorial post in bee health with the aim of better understanding the insect and its dwindling colonies.
The post, funded with a SFr5 million ($5.89 million) donation by the Biel-based Vinetum foundation, will be attached to the university’s veterinary faculty.
It aims to study the largely unexplored biology, physiology and pathology of bees, as well as in-depth research into why bee populations are dying out, according a statement by the university on Friday.
It is unclear why entire bee colonies are under threat, the university says, and it’s a problem that is also impacting on the economy and ecology, as a result of less pollination by bees.
The post will run for ten years initially.
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