In 2024 a Translation Facilitation Project was awarded to harness red light to improve Honeybee health and honey production. Honeybees are vital to Australia’s agriculture and economy, supporting crop growth, livestock feed, and food production through pollination services valued at over $14 billion annually. Studies show that red light exposure may significantly enhance honeybee health. This project aimed to assess whether this could be utilised in cost effective ways in bee keeping practices.

This project was led in the field by Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin from QUBIC who worked together with Simon Chatburn (Head beekeeper) from HoneyHunters Australia. The team developed modifications to the HoneyHunter beehives to enable red light illumination and monitor hive vitality. These modifications have been installed in thirty hives in regional Queensland to test the effect of red light on bee heath and hive productivity.

Bees are critical for pollination in our natural parks and communities. However, biosecurity threats such as the Varroa mite are putting significant pressure on Australian bees, highlighting the importance of improving their resilience.

The Translation Facilitation Project supports QUBIC researchers in translating their work into impactful real-world applications.

Dr. Nicolas Mauranyapin is a postdoctoral fellow with over six years of post-PhD research experience specialising in optics, biosensing, bioimaging, quantum optics, and nanomechanics.

Image: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin (left) and Mr Simon Chatburn (right) on site at HoneyHunters Australia apiary located in the Goondiwindi Region about 300km outside of Brisbane.